FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “Artist’s Professional Toolbox” (APT) all about?

How is APT different from other business or financial planning workshops for artists?

What is the structure of the APT course?

What kind of artist do I need to be to particpate in APT?

How do I apply?

What is tuition for the course?

Is financial assistance available?

What is the deadline for applying?

Has anything like this been offered before?

How can I learn more?

Is the Toolbox program for film/tv/video artists?

Is application to the Toolbox program a competitive process?

Q. What is the “Artist's Professional Toolbox” (APT) all about?
A. The Toolbox is a course intended for emerging to mid-career artists (3-10 years out of art school) to master the business challenges of being an artist. It encompasses career coaching, networking, negotiating, marketing strategies, legal issues, financial planning, and much much more.

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Q. How is APT different from other business or financial planning workshops for artists?
A. The Toolbox is not a one-time workshop or 101 introduction to concepts. It is an 8- month long intensive MBA course for a select group of artists. Instructors will presume that artists have some knowledge and experience in working and living as an artist, and will present the material accordingly. The 30 artists selected for the Toolbox program are expected to make a serious commitment for the duration of the program. In return, they will receive personalized attention and feedback with a focus on not just learning about but actually incorporating the skills they learn into a cohesive career plan.

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Q. What is the structure of the APT course?
A. The course begins with a two-day retreat where the focus is on career planning, negotiation and financial planning skills. During the retreat, artists are also divided into peer advisory groups of artists. These groups meet independently throughout the course outside of class time.

After the retreat, the class will meet every other week in the evening and cover marketing, writing, tax strategies, etc. (For a complete class schedule, click here. The program ends with a half day session where artists meet reviewers (including gallery representatives, museum directors, art school facutly and more) and present themselves and their portfolios, receiving candid feedback from the gallery representatives. For more detailed information with specific dates and times, go to the “Class Schedule” page on the Toolbox home page.

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Q. What kind of artist do I need to be in the Toolbox program?
A. The APT is designed for visual artists who have been practicing for approximately 3-10 years. All kinds of visual artists may participate: painters, sculptors, photographers, mixed media, etc. The program is also not intended for artists in other media (music, dance, video/film makers, etc).
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Q. How do I apply?
A. An application form is available on the Artist’s Professional Toolbox homepage under "Application." On this page you will see a link to the APT Application, which is a PDF file you can download and print and send in along with your application materials. A financial aid application is also on this page.

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Q. What is tuition for the course?
A. Tuition covers the entire cost of the program, which includes over 40 hours of classroom time, handouts and resources. Tuition for the 2007-2008 Artist’s Professional Toolbox program is $725. We are able to offer this program at this cost thanks to a generous grant from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. The actual cost to put on this program is closer to $2000 per student.

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Q. Is financial assistance available?
A. Financial assistance is available for qualifying accepted artists. Financial aid decisions are made based on an artist's income and other financial information. Artists requiring financial assistance should fill in the Application for Financial Assistance on the Toolbox website and submit it along with the rest of their application. (Financial aid applications in no way affect or are referenced in determining admittance to the program). Additionally, artists who do not qualify for financial aid are able to pay tuition in installments over the course of the program.

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Q. What is the deadline for applying?
A. The deadline for applying to the 2007-2008 program is Thursday, October 25, 2007. Applications will be available on the VLA website by September 1, 2007.

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Q. Has anything like this been offered before?
A. There are many short-term, introductory workshops offered in and around Boston on artist professional development. However, the Toolbox is the only program involving the scope, time, commitment and results that we know of for an artist's professional development.

The Toolbox program was offered in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Updates and changes to the curriculum are based on our experience in previous years and feedback from artists in the program.

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Q. How can I learn more?
A. The Toolbox website has the most current and complete information about the course. Content will change as more information becomes available, so check back frequently. If you have more immediate or specific questions, please call or email Sheri Mason or Kristen Angelos at the VLA at (617) 350-7600 or smason@vlama.org or intern@vlama.org.

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Q. Is the Toolbox program for film/tv/video artists?
A: The Toolbox program is not designed or intended for film/tv/video artists, though there have been multimedia artists enrolled in the past. However, we have received inquiries on this question before. Therefore, if you are a filmmaker and would be interested in such a program, please email us at smason@vlama.org and let us know. If we sense there is a lot of interest, we will look into developing a similar program or set of workshops tailored to filmmakers.

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