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It's not surprising that most artists prefer to make art over the tasks required to sell the work. But even if your gallery does all of the selling, an artist must still give the gallery talking points to help sell the work.

Some artists believe the artwork should sell itself. In reality, this rarely works. Instead, a savvy salesperson will notice a buyer's interest and engage the potential customer in small talk about the artist, the medium, or the style of the work. To do this effectively, the artist must provide compelling descriptions in the form of artist statements and biographical information. Whether you are supplying this information to your gallery, to the curator of a show, or posting it on your website, make sure your written material differentiates you from the crowd!

On Saturday January 2 from 10am-2pm, I'll present a hands-on workshop to help visual artists learn my methods for writing and formatting effective artist statements and bios. This ArtBiz Atelier event is hosted by Blueschool Arts in Clinton WA (Whidbey Island), and the cost is $65 per person. Pre-registration is required; deadline to register is December 24.

The ArtBiz Atelier offers a series of six progressive and monthly workshops (Nov 2015 through May 2016) for the business-savvy visual artist. Workshops can be taken individually, however the full series offers a well-rounded training program to help artists improve their reach and success in the world of art shows, funding and sales. The final event, in May 2016, offers artists the opportunity to present their work to a local, supportive audience in a special live presentation. Won't you join us?

• Photographing Your Artwork - December 5, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 11/25/15)

• Artist Statements and Bios - January 2, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 12/24/15)

• Applications & Grantwriting - January 16, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 1/8/16)

• Develop Your Personal Brand - February 27, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 2/19/16)

• Portfolio Development - March 26, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 3/18/16)

• How to Give an Artist Talk - April 23, 10am-2pm
​   (register by 4/15/16)

• Public Artist Presentations - May 10, 6-9pm
   (register by 4/23/16)

Visit the Blueschool Arts website for dates, details and to register.
ArtBiz Atelier is developed and presented by Kim Tinuviel, Whidbey Island.