Year-round online and in-person artist professional development workshops that prioritize strategies for growing your business as an artist (we cover all mediums). Previous workshops have included taxes and money management for creatives as well as artist licensing.
Upcoming Creative Exchange Meetups
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Feb 3 at 5:30 PM | Zoom
Join Julie Wake and Chris Kazarian for a practical, artist focused conversation grounded in real experience reviewing, writing, and awarding grants. Together, they will break down what funders are actually looking for, how to clearly communicate the value and impact of your work, and where applications most often miss the mark.
This session will offer straightforward guidance, helpful framing language, and tools you can use right away. You will gain insight into how to shape your ideas into a compelling proposal that feels authentic to your practice rather than forced or formulaic.
As part of the workshop, Julie and Chris will walk through a sample grant proposal and talk through how funders evaluate applications. This hands on review will highlight what makes a proposal rise to the top, common pitfalls to avoid, and practical ways to strengthen your own submissions.
You will leave with concrete takeaways, increased confidence, and a clearer path forward for funding your creative work.
This session is open to CX Members and CX Alumni!
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In this interactive workshop, you'll develop skills around artist statements that effectively describe what you make, how you make it, and why you make it—enabling art professionals and supporters to understand and connect with your artistic practice.
Workshop Instructor Dana Sikkila is a Minnesota-based interdisciplinary maker and creator. Known for her social practice and activism programs, creative consulting, public speaking, and her theory development within creative curriculum, Sikkila’s practices span from working in communities from rural to the Twin Cities. Her self-defining administration style has bridged the gap between arts creation and administration, through the development of numerous grassroots cultural projects and exhibitions throughout the state of Minnesota.
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March 11 at 5:30 PM | Location: Zoom
Taxes do not have to be intimidating. This practical workshop is designed specifically for artists, freelancers, and creative small businesses who want to feel more confident and informed when it comes to managing their finances.
Led by Hannah Cole, a tax expert who specializes in working with creative professionals, this session breaks down essential tax concepts in plain language, without jargon or judgment. Drawing on her experience as both a working artist and a seasoned tax professional, Hannah understands the real financial challenges creatives face and meets them with clarity, empathy, and practical guidance.
Participants will learn how to better organize income and expenses, understand common deductions, avoid costly mistakes, and approach tax season with greater confidence. Whether you are just starting out or have been working independently for years, this workshop offers tools and insights you can use right away to support a more sustainable creative practice.
Accessible, empowering, and tailored to the creative world, this session helps demystify taxes so you can spend less time worrying about finances and more time focusing on your work.
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In this interactive session, we'll explore ways to use Marketing to unlock new possibilities for your business by building awareness and authentic connection. You'll learn ways to identify your audience, discover tactics that feel natural to you (social media, email, and beyond), and create a simple, sustainable plan. Perfect for artists at any stage and comfort level. Come curious, leave empowered.
Elisa Chiniara has spent nearly two decades in Marketing, managing brands like Aveeno Baby, BAND-AID, Harry's, and Whisps, blending creativity with business strategy. Through her practice Office Hours, she helps emerging brands and entrepreneurs see what's possible, then builds the strategies and helps bring the plans to life.
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This Arts Advocacy 101 workshop, led by MASSCreative, introduces artists and cultural workers to the basics of effective arts advocacy. Participants will learn why advocacy matters, how public policy impacts the creative sector, and practical ways to engage with elected officials and decision makers. This session empowers creatives to confidently raise their voices and advocate for a stronger, more equitable arts ecosystem in Massachusetts.
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Join the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod's very own Chris Kazarian to learn the basics of how to write a killer press release. Attendees will even receive an up-to-date media list to start pitching their own stories to local media and beyond! Attendees are encouraged to have ideas for press releases they would like to pitch regarding the work they are currently doing. This is a hybrid workshop which will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at the Arts Foundation. Free to Members and the CX Capacity Grant Cohort.
WITH MEMBERSHIP COMES BENEFITS
The Creative Exchange Membership is for emerging and established artists of all mediums and backgrounds, cultural organizations, and supporters of the arts led by artists and experts who understand the needs of the creative sector.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Here for the next era of arts and artists.
Joerg Dressler
Painter, Provincetown