Calling all New Jersey artists!

Registration is now open for the latest sessions of

The Business of Being an Artist Virtual Workshop Series.

April 16 | "Writing for Artists: Crafting Artist Statements"

April 23 | "Writing for Artists: Crafting Artist Proposals"

The Business of Being an Artist, offered by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, is a series of virtual workshops that is free and open to any artist, teaching artist, or folk artist who lives and/or works in the state of New Jersey. We are pleased to bring you the next two sessions - “Writing for Artists” - in two parts. These workshops will be focused on increasing artists’ confidence and skill in writing artist statements and proposals.

Writing for Artists: Crafting Artist Statements

When: April 16, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM

What: Artists statements, though often overlooked and undervalued components of the artmaking process, provide important context for artists' work. They can communicate a deeper sense of lifelong passions and inspirations, processes, choice of mediums, and the artist’s desire to have appreciative audiences. They can fill in the gaps for the more abstract aspects of a creative approach or project. Artist statements can be artworks in and of themselves. In this workshop, we will discuss how to craft statements as calling cards that inform, engage, or entice audiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to consider how different artists have approached artist statements, and respond to guided prompts to generate ideas for statements that complement current projects.

Special Note: Please be advised that this session will be in a meeting not webinar format. It will include lecture time, reflection and writing time, and the option to meet with peers in breakout rooms. When registering please consider your interest and comfort with a session that encourages your participation.

Who: paulA neves is a Luso-American writer, multimedia artist, and native of Newark, New Jersey. She is the author of the full-length poetry collection PASSAIC (Get Fresh Books 2025), author of the poetry chapbook capricornucopia: the dream of the goats (Finishing Line Press 2018), and co-author (with Nick Kline) of the writing and photography collection Shirts & Skins (Shine Portrait Studio Press 2017). paulA is also the co-founder of Parkway North Productions, which produced the award-winning documentary The Remedy (2021) about two New Jersey-based hip hop artists/musicians. paulA’s visual art has appeared at the Montclair Art Museum, The Newark Museum of Art, the Newark Arts Festival, Rutgers University, and elsewhere. Honors include fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the City of Newark, the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, and CantoMundo. paulA holds an MFA in poetry from Rutgers-Newark and teaches English Composition there.

Writing for Artists: Crafting Artist Proposals

When: April 23, 2025 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM

What: This workshop is designed for artists working in any discipline. It will prepare you to put your best foot forward the next time you apply for a funding opportunity. This session will help attendees gain confidence in fundraising and proposal writing abilities by providing a solid road map to begin the process. One key goal of this workshop is for participants to learn how to incorporate proposal writing into their artistic practice, so it becomes an organic step in moving current and all future projects forward. The session facilitator will review the specific components of a proposal, how to convey ideas visually, and strike a balance between the big, broad brushstroke ideas and the small details that make your project come alive on the page. The most common mistakes made when writing grant applications - and how to avoid them - will also be covered.

Who: Tracie Holder is a filmmaker, consultant, producer and U.S. film funding specialist. She leads workshops, tutors, and serves on juries at international pitching and training sessions. She is widely regarded as a “go-to” person and all-around resource for artists seeking U.S. funding, having raised more than $3 million in grant awards for her own projects. Holder was a longtime consultant to Women Make Movies and served as the Development & Funding Strategist for Abby Disney’s Fork Films. She is a former board member of NY Women in Film and grant panelist for national and local funders. She co-directed/produced Joe Papp in Five Acts, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and broadcast nationally on PBS/American Masters. Producing credits include Grit, (Hot Docs/POV), The Quiet Zone, and Give It a Shot (in production).

How: Registration is FREE but required to access the workshop materials and the Zoom links. Registration will close on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. No late registrations will be accepted.

If you have any questions, contact the following Program Officers:

For Artists: Stephanie Nerbak | 609-292-4474 (NJ Relay 711)

For Teaching Artists: Samantha Clarke | 609-984-7019 (NJ Relay 711)

For Folk Artists: Sally Van de Water | 609-875-4948 (NJ Relay 711)