Dr Suzette Major will run workshops on The Business of Being An Artist.
An expert on the business of being an artist, Dr Suzette Major is to run two workshops aimed at helping Hawke’s Bay’s creatives flourish as professional practitioners.
Head of EIT’s Arts and Design School, Suzette completed her doctorate in marketing art and creative ideas. Much of her academic writing and published research focuses on the creative industry and, in 2002, she co-founded Arts.Biz Ltd.
The Raglan-based company quickly gained a reputation throughout New Zealand and in Australia for providing sound advice to creative practitioners wanting a leg-up in establishing and developing their careers.
Suzette stepped aside from academia in 2007 to concentrate full-time on her role as company director as well as on her own consulting practice.
Although she resigned from Art.Biz and sold her shareholding when she joined EIT 18 months ago, she has been “hounded” by local artists, musicians, photographers and people working in fashion and the theatre who still associate her with the company and are keen to hone their business skills.
The weekend workshops, to be held at EIT on May 12-13 and again on September 15-16, will each be limited to 25 participants.
“They will have a very practical focus,” Suzette said, “exploring how to establish a career path, running a home studio and the challenges involved in that, marketing work without jeopardising your artistic integrity and how to generate an income including pricing work.
“ They will also consider accounting and legal issues and, through practical exercises, develop skills and strategies for turning a creative practice into a professional career.”
Subsidised by Adult Community Education, the $90 attendance cost for each workshop was “super cheap”. They will both cover the same ground and are designed for emerging artists keen to learn the professional skills needed to turn creative talent into successful arts careers.
Suzette also delivers lectures on the business of being an artist to students enrolled at every level of the visual arts and design programmes offered by EIT’s School of Arts and Design.
For further information about the workshops, contact Adele Vukula at EIT, phone 06 974 8000 ext 5019 or email avukula@eit.ac.nz