About the Toolbox

Get the Tools You Need to Build Your Career!

Based on survey results from over 800 visual artists, the Artist’s Professional Toolbox (APT) is an exciting career development program that empowers practicing visual artists with the skills and confidence they need to master the business challenges of being an artist. APT is a nine-month intensive course for a select group of artists to learn and practice marketing, networking, and business skills with the additional benefits of peer group interaction, mentorship, and feedback. The program includes instruction on:

• Clarifying career goals with a professional career coach
• Marketing strategies, including positioning, branding, and marketing plan development
• Writing artist statements, bios, press releases and media pitches
• Effective networking and "verbal branding"
• Effective negotiation
• Copyright infringement, contracts, and real estate issues
• Financial planning, and tax and estate planning
• Time management

The program concludes with a portfolio review, giving participants the opportunity to practice their presentation skills and present their work to leading gallery owners, museum directors, grant makers, journalists, and residency program directors.

Eligibility
The Toolbox is open to practicing visual artists and is limited to 30 participants. Applicants must commit to completing the entire program and cannot be a matriculated student enrolled in any degree program after July 1, 2011.

Tuition and Fees
Tuition for artists is $925
The Application Fee is $35 (waved for members of the Arts & Business Council)

Payment plan options are available (five payments of $185), as well as a limited amount of financial aid (tuition reductions of $200). Financial aid decisions are based on an applicant's income and other information. Please indicate on the application form, where prompted, if you would like to apply for aid. This will not affect your acceptance, which is decided by a jury with no access to your financial information.

If you apply before April, 21, 2011: You may qualify for a matched savings grant program through Assets for Artists, an innovative matched savings grant program coupled with financial and business training opportunities, for low- to moderate-income artists. By meeting savings goals and by completing the required training, participating artists can receive grant funds as a savings match for “working capital” to invest in their work as an artistic microenterprise, receive down payment assistance for the purchase of a home, or pay for programs such as the Toolbox.  More information is available at www.assetsforartists.org. The deadline for Assets for Artists is April 21, 2011.

Important Dates
Application Deadline is September 23rd, 2011.
Artists selected for the program will be notified on September 26th, 2011.
The opening retreat will take place on Friday, October 28th & Saturday, October 29th, 2011.
The Toolbox program will conclude with a portfolio review on Saturday, May 12th, 2012. (Date subject to change)