What Can You Do To Promote Arts Entrepreneurship?

I’m writing this post from the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization convention in Tampa, FL. Listening to the variety of conference speakers got me thinking about what arts entrepreneurs can do to promote entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking in students and those entering the field, or to energize professionals who may be in need of motivation. Followers of the podcast have likely heard suggestions in our episodes, but I wanted to share activities I’ve pursued and know to be effective:

• Consider hosting an event such as last month’s Arts Without Limits at Kent State University. It’s an annual event that focuses on arts entrepreneurship and developing an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts.  Speakers are leaders in their respective arts fields, and have many years of experience either owning an arts business or having significant portfolio careers in the arts. This year we had over 750 attendees and 300 of those were high school students from around the region. If you want to host a similar event, realize it is a huge undertaking with many moving parts that will take a year of planning to do right. The key here is follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. You can learn more about the event here.
• Another way to promote entrepreneurial thinking is to be a guest lecturer at high schools, or have high school students visit your studio to get a feel for how you create your art and send it out into the world. Some of our podcast guests have done this with great effect.  
• Spread the word about free resources such as our podcast! Many students and emerging professionals don’t know where to start, and the podcast is a great way for them to learn from arts entrepreneurs who describe their paths to success, and what they would do differently. 
• Encourage students to learn about entrepreneurship outside of school. Ask them to become active in professional organizations that encourage entrepreneurship, or compete in pitch competitions, visit local incubators, speak with business founders, and so on.
• Read books about entrepreneurship and starting businesses. 
• Host a makerspace or start a festival, art fair, or other collaborative/creative event. This provides an environment where attendees can learn from, and network with, each other. 
• If you’re teaching at a high school or university, find ways to foster cross-campus collaboration. There’s at least one previous blog post about the need to break down silos in organizations, which is vitally important because every business incorporates the arts: think videos, photos, music, and so on. 
• Continuing the collaborative theme, help launch a student organization to give them a voice and a vehicle to contribute in meaningful ways and develop leadership experience. 

​Most of these activities take time and a good amount of altruism since they won’t likely result in revenue. However, they will pay dividends in the future by growing the arts ecosystem in ways we might not imagine.  

Thanks for reading,
​Nick