Free Professional Development Workshops
Professional Development Workshop series for Fiscal Year 2027:
Over the past four years, national nonprofit arts service organization New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has partnered with Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA)—ArtsFairfax, Arlington Cultural Affairs Office, and the City of Alexandria Office of the Arts—to deliver a series of virtual professional development workshops targeted at empowering artists, performers, and creatives.
Since its inception, this collaborative initiative has offered 18 programs reaching an impressive 12,565 participants across the region and beyond, providing them with practical tools, strategies, and insights to support their creative careers.
From November 2026-March 2027, the partnership will continue with five free professional development workshop.
Fiscal Year 2027 Professional Development Series:
"Artists & the Law: Protecting Your Work in the Age of AI"
November 12, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET, To register visit.
In this online workshop, we will discuss what artists need to know about how the law affects them.
We will delve into the artists’ rights of ownership and reproduction of their art; fair use; contracts; and rights of attribution, publicity and privacy. The discussion will be illustrated with stories in which artists found themselves entangled with the law—and how it all turned out.
Through real-world examples and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to ask the right questions before clicking “I agree,” including: Who owns my work? Can my work be used to train AI? Can I use AI-generated content commercially? What rights am I giving away? And how can I protect my creative work? Designed for visual artists, designers, photographers, makers, musicians, performers, and other creative professionals. No prior AI or legal experience is required, and time for Q&A will be provided.
"Nonprofit Financial Literacy"
January 14, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET, To register visit.
Designed for early-to-mid-career arts administrators at small-to-medium-sized organizations, this FREE online workshop delivers essential, practical strategies for building long-term financial sustainability and artistic resilience.
Participants will gain a clear grasp of core arts administration fundamentals—including managing earned vs. contributed income streams, balancing artistic vision with fiscal realities, and tracking key health metrics tailored to small-budget cultural institutions.
Grounded in real-world applications, the session provides actionable tools for navigating seasonal cash flow, tackling capitalization challenges, and using strategic forecasting to confidently steer your organization through an ever-shifting arts landscape. Time for Q&A will be provided.
"Crafting Your Creative Identity: Branding for Artists & Administrators"
February 11, 2027, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET, To register visit.
This workshop is designed to strip away the marketing jargon and give artists and arts administrators the core tools they need to thrive. You’ll learn branding basics to define your unique voice, implement streamlined digital marketing strategies tailored for the arts ecosystem, and draft engaging content in seconds by treating AI as your creative assistant. This workshop delivers actionable productivity hacks and content-batching blueprints so you can maximize your digital reach and scale your brand without burning out or sacrificing your creative time.
"Expanding Your Organization’s Funding Landscape"
March 4, 2027, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET, To register visit.
Building a resilient arts organization requires moving beyond a single source of funding and looking beyond the traditional arts sector for support. This workshop explores the core pillars of effective arts fundraising, focusing on how to diversify your revenue streams by balancing public grants with reliable earned income and philanthropic support - including galas, custom merchandise, crowdfunding campaigns, and corporate sponsorships from non-arts businesses. Participants will learn how to cultivate collaborative staff-board partnerships, master the development cycle, and build a comprehensive plan that connects your creative mission to broader community and corporate priorities, maximizing your organization's impact.
"Fund Your Art: Strategic Revenue Diversification for Creatives"
March 18, 2027, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET, To register visit.
This workshop will focus on practical approaches to fundraising for arts-based projects, including grant writing, individual donations, crowdfunding, and strategies for diversifying your revenue streams. We will discuss the strategic benefits of each funding source and key considerations for blending them to build long-term financial sustainability. Together, we will brainstorm creative solutions to common fundraising challenges and practice confidently making the “ask” for donations.
All sessions are held on a virtual meeting platform and will be recorded, and all RSVPs will have access to the recording for 30 days following the event. If you are unable to attend the NYFA workshops at the scheduled time, by registering for the workshop you will receive a link to a recording that is accessible for 30 days for you to watch any time.
Questions email arts@alexandriava.gov
Past Fiscal Year 2026 Professional Development Workshops:
"Jobs in the Arts"
Facilitated by NYFA
October 9, 2025, 12:00-1:30 PM
"Storytelling: Communicating Your Impact"
Facilitated by NYFA
November 13, 2025, 12:00-1:30 PM
"Public Art and Creative Placemaking: Activating Nontraditional Spaces"
Facilitated by NYFA
January 15, 2026, 12:00-1:30 PM
"Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls (Part 1: The Narrative)"
Facilitated by NYFA
February 12, 2026, 12:00-1:30 PM
"Nailing the application: a guide to artist open calls (part 2: work samples)"
Facilitated by NYFA
February 26, 2026, 12:00-1:30 PM
"Succession Planning"
Facilitated by Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies
March 12, 2026, 12:00-1:30 PM
If you have any suggestions for professional development workshops send them to arts@alexandriava.gov
Photographing Your Artwork
- The Zero Budget Guide to Photographing Your Artwork (Article, The Art League)
-
Photographing Artwork: Your Essential Guide for Jury-Ready Images (Article, Café)
- The Art of the Application | Representing Your Artwork Online (Article, New York Foundation For the Arts)
- How to Photograph Your Art (Video, Royal Academy of Arts)
- Photographing Works of Art (PDF Document, University of Toledo)
- How to Photograph Your Artwork (Video, Utah Arts & Museums)
