Photo credit Allison V. Smith

An Afternoon for Artists on Professional Development at The Grace Museum

Join Susan kae Grant & Mary Virginia Swanson as they inspire and share insights into strategizing and sustaining a successful life as a fine art or commercial photographer.

Whether you are a sage professional, a new enthusiast who is serious about making photographs, an educator, or a student about to enter college or the marketplace, attending this afternoon will be of value to your creative practice. Discussions will address structures for making work and presenting it in the public arena, print sales, strategies for promotion of your work through print and social media today. Session concludes with a look at promotional materials and Q & A with the presenters.

Grant will begin the workshop by sharing seven strategies crucial for sustaining your creative practice along with simple initiatives to consider. She will examine sources for inspiration; developing courage and experimentation in creating new work; structures for studio production, discipline, and self confidence in managing projects; creating successful portfolio materials; and establishing professional practices and networks for support and accountability.

Swanson will follow by providing an overview of marketing your photographs in our post-pandemic world. Discussions will introduce the diverse markets for photographs today including placement in academic, public, private, and corporate collecting institutions, and sales through art consultants and commercial galleries. She will share today’s essential tools for presenting your work virtually and in person and will highlight best practices when representing yourself in the sale of your work including newsletters, mailers, maintaining an effective website, and the wise use of social media tools including Instagram.

Mary Virginia Swanson is an innovative educator, author, advisor, an entrepreneur who guides and assists artists to find the strengths in their work, identify appropriate audiences, and present their work in a professional informed manner. She counts internationally known artists and respected arts organizations among her consulting clients. Her broad background in our industry encompasses the fine art, editorial, commercial, and licensing arenas, bringing an important range of perspectives on both the making and marketing of art to her students and clients.

Swanson holds an MFA in photography from Arizona State University and co-authored with Darius Himes Publish Your Photography Book the 3rd edition will be published by Radius Books (Spring 2023); their online course of the same name is produced by La Luz Workshops will run April 29-July 1, 2023. Selected awards include the: Lifetime Achievement Award, Griffin Museum of Photography (2013); Susan Carr Award for Education, ASMP (2014); SPE Honored Educator (2015).

Website: www.mvswanson.com; Instagram: @maryvirginiaswanson @publishyourphotographybook

Scholarships

The Grace Museum has two scholarships available for this workshop. To apply for a scholarship, please email Jane Tomlinson at educoordinator@thegracemuseum.org expressing why the workshop will benefit you and how you personally connect to The Grace and our mission.