The path to hell is paved with good intentions. Here’s why…
I recently re-launched The MAKING Art Making MONEY Semester, eight, interactive, foundational, business courses teaching a proven, iterative, sequential process of building a profitable artistic enterprise while connecting a community of Artists Who THRIVE.
I thought it would be a fantastic idea to partner with the top art and design schools by giving their alumni free access to two hours of high quality online training. For each alumnus who enrolled in The Semester, I offered to make a donation to their art school’s endowment.
The top art and design schools have woefully unfunded endowments and that is the main reason why their tuition rates are so steep.
It actually costs more to attend the Rhode Island School of Design than it does to attend Harvard Law School.
Yet you’d probably be more successful selling your art if you attended Harvard Law School because at least your alumni network could easily afford it.
The other big problem that U.S. art and design schools are facing down is that the U.S. Department of Education has them under much stricter scrutiny and they are limiting the number of student loans to art students.
Why? Because the high loan default rate of art students who are graduating, or not graduating, from art and design schools, without marketable skills, is a real problem.
I thought when I reached out to the top art and design schools they would either:
- Love the idea
- Ignore the offer
- Or somehow perceive my offer as competition, even though the program is limited to art school alumni and not students
As you can guess, the response from the top art and design schools was very mixed, generally including:
- We would first like to see your curriculum. (I’ll bet you would. But I own and protect my intellectual property, as I instruct other artists to do. In fact, I’ve trademarked “making art making money.”)
- What you are offering competes with our career office’s services. (I don’t think so because you just used the word “career” and there are no jobs for fine artists so they don’t have “careers”, they have businesses.)
- We are not interested in participating “at this time.” (As if there will be a next time.)
- Last but not least, an “Associate”, you know who you are, from one of the most established art and design schools scowled at me, “What could you possibly have to offer that the staff in this Career Office, with over 100 years of collective experience, has to offer?!” (Let’s start with kindness and professionalism.) It gets worse but I’ll spare you.
Giving art and design school alumni free training and their school’s endowments ongoing donations. What was I thinking!?
I know that the path to hell is often paved with good intentions.
But the fact is the alumni from the top art and design schools are already reaching out to me. They have been for over a decade.
Alumni from the top art and design schools are applying to The Semester, they are reading this blog, and they are booking phone consults with me.
Why? because these artists are not getting what they need from their “career” offices and or their alumni departments. They want to make art and make money and they don’t know how. They need help.
Art school alumni paid a huge premium for their tuition and many are now forever shackled with inescapable student loan debt. They are looking for a return on that investment of precious money and time.
One art school representative said, “If it were just up to me, we would partner with you immediately but I just can not use the words ‘making art’ and ‘making money’ in the same sentence with the administration of this art school. I work with ‘Marxists.'”
I responded, “Let me just guess, you have a pretty bad relationship with a most of your alumni, don’t you?” “Yes, we do. They just don’t want to engage with us.”
She was actually very polite and more receptive than most but she never phoned me back as she said she would.
There’s a big fat elephant in the living room and I’m not havin’ it.
We’ll just go around the obstacle, the permission and scarcity based art establishment. That’s the beautiful thing about the Internet.
How has the career or alumni office at your art school helped you? I’d love to hear some really good examples. Please share below.
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Yes. There is very little if any about the business side of an artist’s success in history.
Education is being disrupted along with publishing, music, and art establishments. It’s about time!
I think the “Associate” forgot a word; she meant “…a 100 years OLD of collective experience…” Those people got stuck at the industrial age when every activities were being streamlined. But we now live another revolution now… They also forgot that the italian artist Giotto had revolutionized art for 2 centuries when he developed workshops as a result of managing art like a business. They forgot that Raphael was the son of a famous and well-established painter. This is why he was able to sign his first contract at 17 years with the support of his uncle…It is unfortunate that artists and collectors don’t hear this side of the story…
My pleasure Gloria! Thank YOU for being part of the revolution
“Right ON” Ann! I too attended “art school” and basically other than learning how to draw a little better and a few things about design…..I learned absolutely NOTHING as to how to make a living as an artist. Years and years of STRUGGLE and NOT GIVING UP is why I am a successful artist today. My success had nothing to do with what I learned in art school! It is amazing how art schools within this great country of ours don’t “get it” that “art is a business, like any other business”! The difference is that artists have been taught that using one’s talent to obtain money to pay our bills is something to be ashamed of. CHANGE is EXTREMELY NEEDED!!!! and YOU, dear friend, are one of those who are doing something about it. I personally thank you for your wonderful insight and for your generosity to share with other “creatives” as you call us! REBELS seem to always be up against a wall at times, but those that persevere like YOU HAVE……will win the battle! Thank you for having the commitment and courage to teach fellow artists that we are entitled to make a living, just like in any other BUSINESS!
Thank you Denise!
Your work is awesome, Ann!
The art world needs you and artists want you.
Go where you are wanted not needed!
Ann, you are a real warrior, and you fight for your mission fierecely. I cannot tell you how much I admire you!
Thank you
Ann you are a true warrior and such an inspiration. Making history is right. Or Herstory.
We all have to learn about making money …. and we can.
I too graduated from a “top” art school and am living with a hefty price tag from attending. My contact with the school extends as far as receiving student loan bills in the mail.
I’d love to learn more about making art and making money because frankly I don’t have a choice.
Making Art
Making Money
Making Trouble
Making History
Go Ann Rea!