Artist Professional Development Conversations
We invite artists creating in all disciplines to take part in our workshop series, Artist Professional Development Conversations, that will share tips, insights, and best practices for navigating the business side of an artistic career. Each virtual session will feature a conversation with FTH staff members to discuss how to better support, present, and market an artistic practice. Topics will include fundraising, booking and programming with presentation venues, and PR and marketing strategies. To suggest conversation topics, please email Dan Bamba, dbamba@flushingtownhall.org
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS:
Artists in the Community with Naomi Kuo and Cristina Ferrigno
Presented in partnership with Social Practice CUNY
Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 at 7PM
During this conversation, artists from the Social Practice CUNY program, Naomi Kuo and Cristina Ferrigno, share how their practices are based in working with the community and discuss best practices when connecting with people to create art and tell their stories. Cristina and Naomi will speak about: What is “community art”; How does community work play a role in an artistic practice; Ways to make deep lasting connections within the community that remain even after a project is finished; How to purposefully work with community members – not just “parachuting” in for the sake of the project; and more.
Creative Collaborations with Eunbi Kim
Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 7PM
Eunbi Kim is a pianist, co-founder of bespoken - a mentorship program for women in classical, contemporary, and jazz music - and a recent FTH Space Grant recipient. Join Eunbi and the FTH Arts Services Department as they talk about ways to collaborate as an individual artist to create new work, start an organization and best practices collaborating with presenters and arts organizations to further artistic projects and careers.
Grant Writing: Writing A Project Budget
Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 6PM
This workshop focuses on an aspect of grant writing that is often intimidating: writing and submitting a proposal for a project budget. Submitting a clear and thorough budget is imperative when applying for a grant - it shows strong project management skills and gives confidence to grant panelists that you will put on a successful project. Join Dan Bamba, Director of FTH Arts Services, as he goes over best budget writing practices, with a focus on the ‘Arts Grants for Queens’ budget application question. If you are an artist or organization planning on applying to one of the Arts Grants for Queens program, this is a great opportunity for an in-depth look at one of the most important sections of the application!
Grant Writing: Live Reviews
Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 5:30PM
Join FTH Deputy Director Sami Abu Shumays as he talks about what makes a compelling grant application. Whether applying for an artist grant, residency or other opportunities, there are common questions funders ask for in their applications. During this workshop, we will edit real artist application materials LIVE during the session to help you write a better arts application and see what a panelist looks for when answering these questions.
Answering Grant Writing Questions
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 4PM ET on Zoom
Join FTH Deputy Director Sami Abu Shumays as he talks about what makes a compelling grant application. Whether applying for an artist grant, residency or other opportunities, there are common questions funders ask for in their applications. During this workshop, we will go over some of those commonly asked questions to help you write a better arts application and gain more support for your art practice. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A. Registrants will also receive a grant writing guide after the session.
Developing a Successful Marketing & PR Strategy
Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 7PM ET on Zoom
Join Shawn Choi, FTH Director of Marketing and Community Engagement, and Jeff Simmons, Executive Vice President, Anat Gerstein, Inc. as they go over tools and strategies to best tell your story as an artist and how to use those tools to grow your following. They will go over topics such as making strong marketing materials for your press kit and developing relationships with the fans, press, and your community to build your art practice’s brand. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A. Attendees will receive a contact list of media outlets to help you get your PR & marketing strategy started as well as a guide on how to write an effective press release.
Presenting Your Work Online for a Virtual Audience
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 7PM ET on Zoom
During the time of COVID-19 and social distance mandates, more and more artists and arts organizations are bringing their works online to present to audiences remotely. Join Steve Mecca, FTH Director of Production as he talks about his experiences bringing FTH's programs online - the challenges of hosting livestreams and online programs, as well as tips and insights picked up along the way while navigating a new virtual world.
Fundraising for Individual Artists 101
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 7PM ET on Zoom
Join Jessica Peña, FTH Director of Development, and Jay House, FTH Grants Manager, as they discuss an overview approach to fundraising tailored for individual artists. Learn strategies for getting financial and other types of support for your art practice from friends, family, and other sources not in your network!
Ask a Presenter with Ellen Kodadek
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 7PM ET on Zoom
Join Ellen Kodadek, FTH Executive Director and Artistic Director, as she helps demystify the process of reaching out to venues and organizations for presentation opportunities. We will go over how to know if a presentation space is a good fit for your practice, how to best communicate with them to gain their interest, and strategies for making the best impression to presenters.