Free Professional Development Workshops
Professional Development Workshop series for 2024/2025:
For three years, the Office of the Arts has been collaborating with ArtsFairfax, Arlington Cultural Affairs, and the New York Foundation for the Arts to offer a series of free, virtual professional development and capacity building workshops for artists and arts organizations. The 2025/2026 workshops will be posted in late summer/early fall 2025.
The 2024/2025 series included:
November 14, 2024
Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls (Part 1: The Narrative)
This panel discussion will focus on the work sample portion of applications to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward when submitting.
November 19, 2024
Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls (Part 2: Work Samples)
This free session will cover tips for compiling and presenting your work samples, common errors reviewers see among portfolios, and how to avoid them, how to approach work sample submissions as telling a story, what “cohesive” looks like when you make lots of different things, and insights into the behind-the-scenes review process.
January 14, 2025
Marketing for Artists and Creatives
Learn how to effectively utilize marketing tools in accordance with your career goals including strategies and techniques, focusing on digital marketing.
February 13, 2025
Inside Representation: Paths to Working with Galleries
This free event will focus on how to attain representation with a gallery and provide an overview of industry standards.
March 13, 2025
Valuing the Invaluable: Pricing Your Artwork
Learn about the factors that go into a profit-focused pricing strategy and the basics of getting your work to the right price point.
April 10, 2025
Marketing Tools of the Trade
Learn tips of the marketing trade, prioritizing social media and analytics.
If you have requests or suggestions for future workshops, please email us at arts@alexandriava.gov
Photographing Your Artwork
- The Zero Budget Guide to Photographing Your Artwork (Article, The Art League)
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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)