The New Zealand Arts Sector has changed dramatically in recent years. The arts are increasingly acknowledged as a valid profession, and choosing to work in the creative industries is seen as a viable career option. This is remarkably different from only a few years ago when the response to saying ‘I'm an artist' was often ‘yeah, but what's your real job?' Nowadays, to say you are an artist, often meets with an enthusiastic and encouraging response. Both in New Zealand and internationally, the arts are increasingly celebrated for what they contribute to society, as well as the economy.
To meet this change however, artists need to have strong business skills alongside their creative talents. As the arts have become professionalized, artists have needed to become more professional in their approach. However the business of being an artist is unique. You can't necessarily take standard business models and apply them effectively - marketing art, for example, is not the same as marketing toothpaste.
The academic world has know this for quite some time: that the business of being an artist is different from other businesses. For example, the specialized discipline of arts marketing first came to light over 25 years ago, with Mokwa's 1981 textbook ‘Marketing the Arts'. Since then, a flurry of publications have come out dealing with the arts business, and exploring the specific issues associated with building a successful career in the arts.
So, as an artist, if you pick up a book on standard business models and it doesn't seem to apply well to what you do, then it's probably written by someone who doesn't understands the uniqueness of the arts sector. The business of the arts needs to consider issues such as the career blocks you face as an artist , the personal nature of what you do, how difficult it is to price your work, the challenge of commercializing your art, or even the distain of referring to your art as a product. Some of the books that do understand such specific issues to the arts are listed in our recommended book section below.
The business of being an artist is unique - but equally, that shouldn't be an excuse for not being business-like in the arts. Bringing the business world and the arts world together is not always an easy fit, but it is possible to be business orientated in the arts without compromising artistic integrity.
ARTS.BIZ LTD offers workshops, coaching and consulting services for artists interested in developing a career or small business in the creative industries
