Artists’ Resources
[A quick snapshot geared towards San Francisco Bay Area emerging artists.]
Art Opportunities*
Stay ahead of deadlines with these newsletters.
re-title.com/newsletter/
www.transartists.org
nyfa.org/source/
*Tip: Set up a non-critical email address, such as pobox@email.com, to receive newsletters. You can browse these at your leisure, instead of fighting a tidal wave of emails in your main email inbox.
Local art councils
I recommend that emerging artists don’t worry about state and federal funding sources, and pay attention to local and city grants, commissions and exhibition opportunities:
sfartscommission.org/gallery/
oaklandculturalarts.org
East Bay Community Foundation
Professional Development
Build skills and maintain a good outlook with these online and in-person professional development workshops.
cciarts.org
creative-capital.org/events/calendar
Alternative Art Spaces
One of the best things about being an artist in the Bay Area is its wealth of scrappy non-profits dedicated to artists. Dozens abound: the following do exceptional jobs providing emerging artists with exhibition opportunities.
soex.org
theintersection.org
proartsgallery.org
thelab.org
rootdivision.org
sjica.org
Online Presence
Once you have a body of work, there is no excuse for not having an online presence if you want to exhibit as an artist.
These content management systems (CMS) simplify making portfolio sites:
indexhibit.org : Clean and no frills. Don’t be afraid of an understated design. Your work should be the focus.
wpfolio.visitsteve.com
otherpeoplespixels.com : I find OPP’s layouts with multiple submenus cumbersome, but image-driven layouts like this are available.
If you can code, I recommend this webhosting company:
dreamhost.com
If all of the above is too overwhelming, at least maintain a profile on one of these registries:
re-title.com
artslant.com
Further Reading:
Portrait of an Artist, Wily and Engaged (Art Practical)
Kerry James Marshall on artists becoming agents in their own lives
