Expense tracking, travel planning, answering & composing emails, scheduling, project management, managing your archive, etc.

Ask the professionals how you can take your career to the next level. Engage a trusted advisor. Sometimes it is great to have someone in your corner to help you set goals.

Either for public exposure, celebration of an achievement or a record for the archive, those that write about your work and practice are essential.

Stretcher bar and panel building, studio storage builders, contractors for large scale projects, framers, etc.

Caterers, bakers of desserts, and bar tenders for hire. Feed the people at your next event. Food is a great way to welcome your guests and alcohol helps sell art, up to a point.

Let’s make a habit of patronizing local commercial printers for our exhibition ephemera, business cards & monographs. Collaborating with a screen-printer can produce a nice edition for your collectors.

Clear portfolio photos, artists headshots, studio documentation, opening night documentation, reference photo shoots, etc.

Capture performance, installation, or events on video for the record. Create video proposals. Artist interviews for the archive.

Think of the marvelous things you could make with the power of electricity. Also, things like gallery lighting, studio lighting, electric kilns, etc.

Gallerists represent artists and help promote, network and propose exhibits. Engaging and collaborating with a curator can help in editing your exhibitions and presenting your work from a point of view, moment in time, or through the lens of a current conversation.

An up to date, professional resume or CV is required for most open calls and grant opportunities. Make sure you are presenting yourself professionally and accurately with the help of a pro. Update your LinkedIN.

Branding your studio can help organize your practice. Elevate the design of your mailings, leave-behinds and other ephemera. Engage a web designer to make sure that your work is shown in the best light possible.

From basic transport and installation to large-scale installation, mural support and people who know how to package artwork so that it gets to where it is going undamaged. Here is a list of professionals essential to have in your corner.

One thing I highly recommend is making your visual art practice multidisciplinary. For example, adding an edition of etchings or a small bronze sculpture to an exhibition of paintings can be a great way to add depth to a show. Luckily, Dubuque has a wealth of great instructors.

Just because you are an artist, it does not mean you are a marketing genius. Instead of spending your time studying the algorithm, hire a social media expert. Get help with your brand voice and start sending out a monthly newsletter. Bring a professional touch to your exhibit proposals, and product packaging. Get your work published.

An historic tradition, hiring a live model can help your drafting skills and affords a different aesthetic than working from photo reference. We are lucky to have a list of models who will sit live for artists individually and drawing groups. It is not easy work to hold a pose!

Studio sinks, safety showers, people that can harness the power of water. They know how to make things hold liquids without leaking…and many other things. Simply trying to spark an inspiration…call one today.

The helpers. Skilled workers, apprentices and true patrons of the arts. Hire someone to help you stretch your canvas, recycle your clay, and keep your studio tidy. Increase your production this year with the help of a professional.

Not everyone is a recluse like me, hiding in my home studio. Studio space is a great way to spread out, work near other working artists, and have a neutral place to entertain patrons and collectors. Here is where to go when you don’t want to work out of your home.

How great is it to be able to browse a supply store? Ever tried to find stopping-out varnish and sugar lift in Dubuque – or even anywhere on the internet that will ship to Dubuque? I’m not frustrated you’re frustrated. Seriously, send help. Hopeful for small-business art supply stores popping up in the new arts district…

On the topic of running your visual art practice as a sustainable business, incorporating and engaging a tax professional can be a great asset. I have learned so much and saved so much money, building my business and the admin is a little easier since I engaged Greg at O’Connor Brooks.

For those times when you are not sure that something is quite for you or you need this one tool this one time…tool rental places in Dubuque. Need to rent space in a kiln? Need to rent a lift to make a mural?