Creating a successful small business as an artist is hard work. So much has to go into creating your work, building an audience and managing the back of house. Now consider you have to do all this and still be profitable. As much as we, as artists, want our business to be about the art, at the end of the day, we still need to pay the bills. So, you sell at markets, stock inventory at boutique shops, and sell online, but what do you do to supplement your income when things get slow or the market is not favorable?
The beauty of grants
The art community thrives, not just because people love art, but because our local governments and business want to see artists thrive as well. That is why many companies issue grants to local artists to help them create beautiful pieces that will be shared by the community. These can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. The question is: how can you and your business benefit from these grants. First things first, you need to seek them out. Depending on where you are the number of grants available to you may vary. Cities, especially cities that are epicenters for art and culture, are going to have more of these opportunities than rural communities. That doesn’t mean that rural communities don’t have grants available to them, and, since the pool of artists in rural communities is lower there is less competition for being accepted.
You can search for grants through a number of different sources. Art councils for your area will likely have a running list of current and future grants that are available. Pay attention to what district they are available in. Often times these grants will be available to multiple counties or regions so you may be eligible for a grant in a neighboring area if you are within the applicable district. Check your city’s website as well as they will often list the government funded grants that are available to you. Put in for as many as you can but read the rules: sometimes there are limitations to when, and how frequently, you can apply for them.
Sell yourself
Be prepared: when you submit a proposal for a grant they are going to want to know about you, your art, and how you are going to use the grant money. Think about this and be prepared to answer in a way that shows you are community focused. Remember, the purpose of these grants aren’t necessarily for you to grow your business, but are so that you can help grow the community as a whole. Think about how you would use the money to offset the costs of your project: pay for materials, cover registration fees, travel expenses, and, of course, you need to pay yourself for your time.
There are some grants that are offered as “no strings attached” where they will tell you you can do whatever you want with the money but most, especially those that are offering larger sums of money, want to make sure that the money is going to good use. Be honest with your costs, think about what is a fair rate to pay yourself for your time, and plan to use the money to fund projects that are reflective of the money you are being offered. This doesn’t just mean not to oversell your work, but also not to undersell the work. If the grant is for $1,000 don’t use that to fund a month long endeavor that is going to cost a thousand dollars in materials alone.
Learn how to market yourself. If you are part of an underrepresented community make sure to highlight that. Speak to your experience, you passion, and your efforts to work with the community. Think about the organizations you are a part of, fundraisers or non-profit organizations you have done work for, and people in the community you have helped or supported. The organizations that are sponsoring these programs aren’t just investing in your artwork, they are investing in you.
Good luck in applying for grants. This is a great way to supplement the income of your small business and to get your name out there. Do you have a success story of applying for grants? Share it with us and tag us @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.
