A local printmaker has started a nonprofit aimed at helping artists acquire tools to sharpen their business practices through a series of educational seminars. The day-long courses are designed for visual and performing artists and feature hands-on mentoring from guest speakers.
Sirima Sataman, owner of the print shop and studio Ink Paper Plate, in Point Reyes Station, said she has noticed a demand from local artists. “Over the last three years since opening the shop, people have come to me for professional skills,” she said.
West Marin Workshop for the Arts kicks off this Friday with a course called “Laying Groundwork for Success.” Led by Kathryn Reasoner, who teaches professional practices at the San Francisco Art Institute, the class will cover planning, marketing, communications, fundraising, and finance and legal issues.
Julia Rigby, a painter and printmaker from Petaluma who will attend the workshop, said the easy part is making the art; getting it outside her studio has proven difficult without an art school education.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m flying blind,” she said. “From what I understand, an M.F.A. program teaches how to market yourself and develop a sense of your audience. Pricing your work, to me, is a challenge without an academic structure, and I’ve been learning as I go. That’s what’s so awesome about [Ms. Sataman’s] outreach. She’s been great for advice, networking and building a resume.”
Ms. Rigby also noted the value of engaging with peers. “I think the opportunity to network, not just with the leaders, but with other attendees, is pretty great,” she said. “I feel like the artist’s community in the North Bay can be pretty estranged and there’s a bigger community of North Bay artists in a similar boat as I am.”
Gordon Bryan, co-founder of Blue Slide Art Tile in Point Reyes Station, is also registered for the course, which he learned about through Ms. Sataman’s social media campaigning.
“She’s pretty tech savvy [and] that’s part of the whole appeal,” he said. “She seems to know what she’s talking about in that area. I’m a little older and didn’t grow up with a computer. I’m not sure what I’m looking for in the class, but I’d like some help in social media and online business.”
Mr. Bryan has been creating tiles since 1982, and said he uses an “old-time business model” in which he wholesales items to showrooms. He’s interested in learning how to enhance his online sales and working directly with customers, such as through Etsy.
He also appreciates that he can get help locally. “It’s really nice to go locally rather than go into the city,” he said.
The new nonprofit will allow Ms. Sataman to offer more programming. Her shop hosts a monthly artists social, regular figure drawing classes and much more. The nonprofit status will allow her to pursue grants and donations that will help her expand services to artists and offer
scholarships.
See the calendar on page 16 for details.