Art + Drawing - Business Of Art

A fly-on-the-wall account of the smart and strange subcultures that make, trade, curate, collect, and hype contemporary art.

The art market has been booming. Museum attendance is surging. More people than ever call themselves artists. Contemporary art has become a mass entertainment, a luxury good, a job description, and, for some, a kind of alternative religion.

In a series of beautifully paced narratives, Sarah Thornton investigates the drama of a Christie's auction, the workings in Takashi Murakami's studios, the elite at the Basel Art Fair, the eccentricities of Artforum magazine, the competition behind an important art prize, life in a notorious art-school seminar, and the wonderland of the Venice Biennale. She reveals the new dynamics of creativity, taste, status, money, and the search for meaning in life. A judicious and juicy account of the institutions that have the power to shape art history, based on hundreds of interviews with high-profile players, Thornton's entertaining ethnography will change the way you look at contemporary culture.

The most comprehensive guide of its kind, Art/Work gives artists of every level the tools they need to make it in an art world so competitive one dealer likens it to "The Sopranos, except nobody gets killed." Whether you're an art school grad looking for a gallery, a mid-career artist managing a busy studio, or someone just thinking about becoming a professional artist, this indispensable resource will help you build your career and protect yourself along the way.

Unlike other creative professionals, visual artists don't have agents or managers. You have to do it all yourself, at least until you find gallery representation -- and even then, there are important business and legal issues you need to understand to stay in control of your career and ensure you're being treated fairly. Heather Darcy Bhandari, a gallery director, and Jonathan Melber, an arts lawyer, walk you through these issues so that you can essentially act as your own manager and agent. They show you, for example, how to tackle business basics such as tracking inventory and preparing invoices; how to take legal precautions like registering a copyright and drafting consignment forms; how to use promotional tools like websites and business cards; and how to approach career decisions such as choosing the right venue to show your work.

In addition to drawing on their own experiences, Bhandari and Melber interviewed nearly one hundred curators, dealers, and other arts professionals, in cities across the country, about what they expect from and look for in artists. The authors also talked to a host of artists about their careers and the lessons they've learned navigating the art world. The book is full of their entertaining anecdotes and candid advice.

No matter what kind of artist you are -- or want to be -- this book will help you. Art/Work covers everything you need to know to succeed, saving you from having to learn it all the hard way -- and letting you spend more time making art.

How should designers manage the creative process? What's the first step in the successful interpretation of a brief? How do you generate ideas when everything just seems blank? How to be a graphic designer offers clear, concise guidance for these questions, along with focused, no-nonsense strategies for setting up, running, and promoting a studio, finding work, and collaborating with clients.

The book also includes inspiring interviews with ten leading designers, including Rudy VanderLans (Emigre), John Warwicker (Tomato), Neville Brody (Research Studios), and Andy Cruz (House Industries). All told, How to be a graphic designer covers just about every aspect of the profession, and stands as an indispensable guide for any young designer.

2012 Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market is the must-have reference guide for emerging artists, who want to establish a successful career in fine art, illustration, cartooning or graphic design. For years, artists have relied on us to help them find new markets and navigate the changing business landscape. The 2012 Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market introduces a whole host of new features and guarantees the most up-to-date, individually verified listings possible. In addition to the 100% updated market listings, artists will find new resources they’ll want to use everyday including:

• A FREE 1-year subscription toArtistsMarketOnline.com, where you can search listings, track your submissions, get the latest art and design news and much more
• Complete, up-to-date contact information for more than 1,600 art market listings, including galleries, magazines, book publishers, greeting card companies, ad agencies, syndicates, art fairs and more
• Articles on the business of freelancing—from basic copyright information to tips on promoting your work



• NEW! Special features on selling more art in 2012, secrets to social media success, pocket-sized promotion, creating an online presence, fine-tuning your sales pitch and generating referrals
• NEW! Informative articles on getting the most from workshops, handling problems creatively, applying creative thinking to running your business and managing your clients
• NEW! Inspiring and informative interviews with successful professionals including graphic designer Tom Davie and artist and illustrator Mike Maydak
• Information on grants, residencies, organizations, publications and websites that offer support and direction for creative artists of all types