Apply Now | NYSCA/NYFA Artist As Entrepreneur Boot Camp Program, Presented by Cattaraugus County Arts Council (CCAC)

Program is open to artists of all disciplines in Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Chautauqua Counties. Application deadline has now been extended through Sunday, July 16, with new program dates! 

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts’ State & Local Partnerships program, is pleased to announce the second year of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp, a series of professional development programs for the arts communities in New York State conducted over a three-year period. The latest installment, an intensive, multi-day professional development opportunity that delves into the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts, will be presented by Cattaraugus County Arts Council (CCAC) this June.

Topics to be featured include strategic planning, finance, law, marketing, and fundraising. Additional material will be drawn from NYFA’s popular textbook The Profitable Artist (Allworth Press, 2011). The Boot Camp’s structure is a blend of formal lectures, breakout groups, and one-on-one meetings. Participants work through a flexible and dynamic “action plan” that provides a blueprint for their future project, career, and business goals.

Artists interested in attending are required to apply, and participants are selected by a panel review process. Artists of all disciplines and career stages are encouraged to apply.

All programs are offered free-of-charge to participants. 

Please note that program dates have changed.

Program Dates: September 8 – 10, 2017

Friday, September 8: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Overview of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist As Entrepreneur Boot Camp and Participant Introductions

Sessions One and Two
Saturday, September 9: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, September 10: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Session topics will include finance, law, marketing, strategic planning, fundraising, and small group breakouts for individual presentations.

A follow-up individual consultation will be offered on a separate date.

Location: Jamestown Community College – Cattaraugus County Campus, 260 North Union Street, Olean, NY 14760

Attendance is mandatory for all sessions, please check your calendar before applying.

How to Apply

Eligibility

• Open to artists in all disciplines and career stages
• Artists living and working in New York State*

Guidelines
For the application we ask you provide:

• Your long terms goals and why you are interested in applying to this program 
• A narrative bio of your professional career
• A link to your website or online presence
• Work samples

Click here to apply via Submittable.**

Application Deadline: Sunday, July 16, 11:59 PM EST
Notification: On or before Friday, August 4, 2017

Once selected into the program, artists will be asked to pay a $25 program deposit which will be automatically refunded at the end of the program, if artists attend all sessions. If a family or medical emergency prevents attendance, this would be considered an exception to the rule.

Questions: Contact the NYFA Learning Team at [email protected].

*Priority will be given to artists in Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Chautauqua counties, however the program is open to artists throughout New York State.

**First time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal.

The Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp was recently recommended by Artwork Archive as a way to grow professionally and make priceless connections with other artists. Past Boot Camp participants agree:

I feel truly blessed to have been chosen as a participant in the October 2016 NYFA-ASI Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp program. Having attended other programs directed towards entrepreneurs I was skeptical at first, but I found the program to be well conceived, well organized and truly inspirational. There was a welcoming atmosphere for a program that was jam packed with useful information and a little bit of magic! Thank you so much for choosing me as one of the participants.
– Alison E. Kurek, visual artist 

The Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp was invaluable for me as a business owner. I not only got to meet so many other local artists who are all learning the ins and outs of art business but I got concrete information and advice tailored to my own personal situation. I have put many of the things I learned into action and ended up having the most successful year in business so far! In fact, I doubled my sales from last year. I would recommend it to any artist trying to make a living through their art.
– Janna Willoughby-Lohr, owner, Papercraft Miracles

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Images: NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp for Artists of Color, spring session, March 25 workshop, Photo credit: NYFA