For Artists
Artist, performer, writer, crafts-person — wherever your creativity finds its expression, there’s never been a better time to be a part of the Columbus arts and culture scene. In the sections below you will find a variety of opportunities and links compiled as an on-going resource of information for Individual artists. The following category listings contain additional discipline specific resources.
Art Blogs, News & Publications
The Greater Columbus Arts Council We invite artists of all genres and disciplines to create a free profile on the ColumbusMakesArt.com artist directory. This resource is available to artists in Central Ohio in dance, theatre, music, literature, film and the visual arts. Your profile in the online directory enables you to share your bio, contact information, upload photos, video and sound files of your work, post upcoming events and so much more! The Arts Council additionally distributes regular email blasts that promote the directory to nearly 10,000 people.
Americans for the Arts – Connecting your best ideas and leaders from the arts, communities, and business, together we can work to ensure that every American has access to the transformative power of the arts.
The Artful Manager is an arts journal and blog that focuses on the business of nonprofit arts management curated by Andrew Taylor.
CCA News publishes summaries of eight articles from around the web, that CAA members may find interesting and useful in their professional and creative lives.
Clancco explores, investigates, and examines the relationship between art and law. With an educational background in art, art theory, and law, Clancco’s expertise lies in the discourses of intellectual property, nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, free speech, and contemporary art.
Columbus Alive! a weekly entertainment magazine and website serving central Ohio with fresh, fun coverage of the music, arts, food and nightlife that makes this city tick.
Columbus Underground keeps you up to date on local artists, art galleries, performance art events, exhibition reviews, and everything else in between.
Createquility explores the intersection of the arts with a wide range of topics including politics, economics, philanthropy, leadership, research, and urban planning.
Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrators Handbook from the National Endowment for the Arts provides information on making cultural programs fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.
GCAC Tumblr is a website that features articles about local and national arts issues, profiles of local creative professionals, previews of upcoming events and the inside scoop on what’s happening in the arts in Columbus. If you’re Interested in having your columbusarts.com profile featured, email Lacey Luce at lluce@gcac.org.
Grantmakers in the Arts a forum for discourse, that probes topics relevant to arts grantmakers and encourages relationship building and best practices.
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations is a community organization that isn’t just focused on what you do, but how you get there. We’re identifying which practices best enable nonprofits to be successful — we’re also looking at what makes it possible for our organizations to change and adapt to the needs of the nonprofits we fund. We’re working together to make it easier to implement changes and help them stick within your organization. And that means achieving faster progress.
Hear the Music Play is a free online resource for musicians that includes articles, discussion forum and reviews on equipment.
Jumper is an arts journal blog that focuses on what the arts do and why. It is curated by Diane Ragsdale.
Minerva Financial is an organization that understands the unique financial, managerial, and programmatic challenges faced by artists and arts organizations. They offer professional financial consulting for artists and arts organizations.
The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love by Jackie Battenfield is a comprehensive handbook that provides the information, tools, and techniques, for developing and sustaining a successful art career. It provides answers to the challenges artists face everyday and includes real-life examples, illustrations, step-by-step exercises, and bulleted lists that allow readers to dive in and begin working immediately.
Grantseeker’s Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Funding was developed out of a series of seminars, aims to help grantseekers develop a strategic plan to locate funds for their programs. It outlines how to develop a program that will receive funding, it provides the best methods for writing a grant proposal, and when you purchase this book it contains a disk allowing organizations to customize forms and exercises found in the book. *May be available in the Reference section at your local library.
Getting Your Sh*t Together: A Professional Practices Manual For Artists by Karen Atkinson and GYST Ink, is a manual informed by decades of experience and years of research into how to perform as a professional artist in the 21st century art world. This book is filled with easy-to-follow instructions that will help you do everything from archive your work, to start a mailing list, to write a grant, and everything else you can think of. It will even address some topics you may not think you need to know about now – but you sure will later!
Available Space
Looking for a place to have a meeting? Need rehearsal space? Space for a reception? GCAC has complied a comprehensive document containing the who, what, when were and how for all of your space needs in Columbus. Click the link here to check out the most up to date listings.
Have a space that isn’t listed? Use this link to add your information to be added to the list.
Directories
If you’re looking for other outlets to showcase your work the sites listed below will provide you with a multitude of options.
The Greater Columbus Arts Council Artist Directory invites artists of all genres and disciplines to create a free profile on the ColumbusMakesArt.com site. Available to artists in Central Ohio in dance, theatre, music, literature and the visual arts, your profile in the online directory enables you to share your bio, contact information, upload photos, video and sound files of your work, post upcoming events and so much more! The Arts Council additionally distributes regular email blasts that promote the directory to nearly 10,000 people.
ArtistsRegister is an online gallery that allows visual artists to showcase their work and connects the artists with private collectors, gallery owners, interior designers, corporate art buyers, public art administrators, and general art enthusiasts
Artists In Schools Directory is an online directory that links professional artists and arts groups not only with K-12 schools, but also parks and recreation centers, senior facilities, correctional facilities, hospitals, libraries, other community centers, as well as private sector businesses, organizations and individuals around Columbus. Artist services may include performances, lectures, workshops, master classes, readings and multi-disciplinary experiences.
CODAworx is a global online community that showcases design projects featuring commissioned artwork in interior and architectural spaces. Since 2012, the site has been an online hub for the commissioned art world where anyone can showcase work, hire artists, and get hired. Designed for use by artists, design professionals, and industry resources, CODAworx provides its members with a platform to earn recognition for their design + art projects, connect with other members of the creative community, and conduct transactions. We offer artists an opportunity to showcase their work with their own profile, portfolio of projects, and the ability to apply to our CODAmagazine and our awards programs, the CODAawards and CODAvideo Awards.
Ohio Online Visual Artists Registry where you can view the works of over 1,200 artists from Ohio and around the world, representing all kinds of art. It’s all computerized, cross-referenced and, best of all, accessible from your home, office or local library. Just what you need to help find the artist and the artwork you’re looking for. It’s used as the starting point for the Ohio percent for arts program and it’s free!
Public Art Archive is a sophisticated, searchable online database of public art. The Archive makes public art and its processes more accessible, displaying images alongside extensive descriptions, including audio and video supplementary files when available. Locate public art pieces, create custom walking tours, and access images and data via the free mobile site.
Funding
Are you new to grantseeking and don’t know where to begin? Check out these resources to get you started on the right path!
The Foundation Center is a wonderful resource for individual and nonprofit grant seekers with classroom and online training courses, and a wealth of knowledge in other areas such as foundations & fundraising and proposal writing.
Still in need of funding to complete your project? Check out these alternative resources to help reach your goal.
ArtistShare is a platform that connects creative artists with fans in order to share the creative process and fund the creation of new artistic works. ArtistShare created the Internet’s first fan funding platform for artists launching its initial project in October 2003. Since then, ArtistShare has been allowing fans to show appreciation for their favorite artists by funding their projects in exchange for access to the creative process, LTD Edition recordings, VIP access to events/recording sessions and even credit listing on the final product.
Awesome Foundation distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given upfront in cash, check, or gold doubloons. The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. The Foundation provides these grants with no strings attached and claims no ownership over the projects it supports.
Craft Emergency Relief Fund accomplishes its mission through direct financial and educational assistance to craft artists including emergency relief assistance, business development support, and resources and referrals on topics such as health, safety, and insurance.
Ford Funding grants approximately $16 million through JustFilms, an open-application process for filmmakers and mediamakers around the world who are working to create documentaries that address urgent social issues.
GoFundMe is an online crowfunding platform that makes it easy to raise money online for the things that matter to you most. In less than a minute, you’ll be able to personalize your fundraising campaign and share it with the people in your life.
IndieGoGo is an online crowdfunding platform that allows you to tell people what you are doing, how they can help, and what unique perks they’ll get for becoming contributors. You keep 100% ownership of your campaign and don’t owe us a cent until you raise money.
Kickstarter.com is an online funding platform supporting art, music, design (fashion, product, game, app, etc), film/video, food, journalism, and other projects that spring from the imagination.
Kiva is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit no-interest loan platform fueled by passionate people. By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. 100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans. Kiva covers costs primarily through optional donations, as well as through support from grants and sponsors.
National Endowment for the Arts awards grants to individuals in the areas of creative writing and translation projects.
Ohio Humanities encourages all Ohioans to explore the human story. Providing financial support through grants for community projects, exhibits, and activities, Ohio Humanities partners with cultural organizations to present book festivals and public activities, and to promote heritage tourism in Ohio.
Pledge Music is a crowdfunding platform, unlike other platforms that simply provide means to make a purchase/donation, Pledge takes a direct-to-fan approach, inviting fans behind the scenes and into the intimate process of making and releasing new music.
Pollination Project believes in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Grants are made to individual change-makers with an idea and a plan to make their community and their world a better place. $1,000 seed grants are made to individual change makers, every day, 365 days a year.
Rocket Hub is a crowdfunding platform intended to help artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and social leaders raise funds to succeed in their passions.
Need auditors for your small business or large organization? These companies may be able to help.
William T. Bauder, CPA, CITP, CGMA
Senior Manager, Assurance and Accounting Department
Whalen & Company
Office: 614.396-4200
www.whalencpa.com
Ben Antonelli, CPA
Principal | Rea & Associates, Inc.
5775 Perimeter Drive – Suite 200
Dublin, Ohio 43017
Phone 614-889-8725
Direct 614-923-6542
Fax 614-889-0159
ben.antonelli@reacpa.com
www.ReaCPA.com
www.DearDrebit.com
www.Facebook.com/ReaCPA
www.Twitter.com/ReaCPA
Learning Opportunities
Artistic Freedom offers full film production services as well as script analysis services. Are you on a screenwriter’s journey? Whether you’re a newbie in the screenwriting game or an experienced scribe wanting a fresh pair of eyes, SSSA is here for you! Getting objective, supportive feedback on your work is one of the best investments you can make in your own writing. Artistic Freedom Ltd. founder Celia C. Peters offers affordable, multi-layered script analysis services designed to give you the insight you need to make your script the best it can be. Write on!
For more info on their services: http://bit.ly/scriptanalysis
Center for Cultural Innovation provides business training, grants, loans, and an innovative project incubator to create new program knowledge, tools and practices for artists in the field.
College Art Association offers professional development workshops to artists, art historians, and students at the Annual Conference in February and at locations across the United States throughout the year. CAA also provides a series of podcasts devoted to professional development topics for artists. Evolving from the National Professional Development Workshops and now produced in tandem with them, the series will continue throughout the year, with new audio to be added on a regular basis. While the initial focus is on artists, CAA hopes to develop podcasts for art historians, curators, nonprofit art professionals, and other constituencies in the future.
Columbus Society of Communicating Arts was founded in order to establish a nonprofit organization of professionals devoted to elevating the standard of communications within Central Ohio and to promote a better understanding of the context and function of the visual arts in commerce, industry, education and the community. The monthly lectures by internationally recognized leaders in design and marketing communications offer a broad knowledge base, inspiration and social relevancy to all design, marketing and verbal/visual communication disciplines, as well as the general public.
Creative Capital supports the innovative and adventurous across the country through funding, counsel and career development services.
Khan Academy is a non profit organization that provides free resources and education for everyone on a variety of topics.
Leap2it.com LEAP’s mission is to educate and empower members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially those more marginalized, to become successful entrepreneurs through education, mentorship, and meaningful connections while building self esteem and confidence along the way.
Lynda.com provides their members access to thousands of online video tutorials on hundreds of topics to learn new programs and keep your computer skills up to date.
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) offers a variety of professional development workshops, panels and conference for artists working in all disciplines. mock panels are also offered to help prepare students for the real world, taking you on a behind-the-scenes tour of Artists’ Fellowships and live-jury panels, offering invaluable tips on how to strengthen applications for graduate schools, residencies, and grants.
OPPArt is a monthly series presented by GCAC that is aimed toward helping individual artists and small arts organizations connect with each other and further themselves and their work. The series includes professional development workshops, roundtable discussions, social events and more. Most events are free, and all events are open to artists of any discipline or level.
Legal Support
Artists from Abroad provides all the resources needed to help navigate through the process of obtaining nonimmigrant visas and understanding U.S. tax regulations for international artists.
Business Owners Toolkit is a total know-how for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Copyright alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest and educational organization representing artists, creators, and innovators across the spectrum of copyright disciplines, including membership organizations, associations, unions, companies and guilds, representing artists, creators and innovators, and thousands of individuals.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools.
Legalzoom is an online tool for entrepreneurs assisting in the areas of Trademarks, LLCs and much more.
U.S. Patent and trademark office includes current news, frequently asked questions, guides, glossary of terms and information on a variety of intellectual property issues.
U.S. Copyright is an information clearinghouse that includes forms, news and publications regarding copyright issues.
Open Calls & Databases
Art Deadlines List contains listings of public art commissions, competitions, jobs & internships, scholarships, grants, fellowships, residencies, and festivals in all disciplines, for students, teachers, and artists of all ages, skill levels everywhere.
CaFé Call for Entry is a web-based service that allows organizations and administrators to easily and cost-effectively manage artist-application and jury processes related to calls for entry and other events that becomes a searchable database for individual artists in all disciplines.
College Art Association offers continuously updated information for artists, scholars, museum professionals, educators, and other members of the visual-arts community on open calls for exhibition opportunities, residencies, exchanges and fellowships.
Individual Artists Opportunities is a searchable listing of opportunities for artists. The Artist Opportunities Database is managed by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), and is free and open to the public for browsing and searching. The purpose of the database is to announce opportunities available to artists.
NYFA’s Opportunities & Services for Artists is a comprehensive online directory for grants, open calls, auditions and residencies and many more nationwide for artists, writers, filmmakers, dancers, performers and musicians.
Patron Art is a marketplace that connects customers to artists in order to commission custom artwork.
Regional Arts & Culture Council (RAC) provides a listing of local, national juried and non-juried competitions for arts of all media.
SideArts is a call for artists listing service delivers trusted information on local and international exhibitions, vendor events, competitions, requests for proposals, residencies, and grants to artists and crafters. Businesses, non-profits, galleries, local governments, and promoters use SideArts to recruit qualified artists and crafters.
The Ohio Art’s Councils’ Festival Directory – If you are interested in promoting your festival or competition on this list please visit http://www.oac.ohio.gov/News-Events/Festival-Directory
ZAPPlication is an online application and adjudication system for art fairs, festivals, and shows.
Residencies
Alliance of Artists Communities is a national and international association of artists’ communities and residencies — a diverse field with thousands of programs worldwide that support artists of any discipline in the development of new creative work.
College Art Association offers continuously updated information for artists, scholars, museum professionals, educators, and other members of the visual arts community on open calls for exhibition opportunities, residencies, exchanges, and fellowships.
Regional Arts & Cultural Council (RAC) provides listings of local, national and international residencies submitted directly to the organization.
ResArtis is an association of over 400 centers, organizations, and individuals in over 70 countries dedicated to offering artists, curators, and all manner of creative people the essential time and place away from the pressures and habits of everyday life.
Trans Artists is a searchable database of more than 1,200 artist-in-residence opportunities worldwide!
Community & Street Performer Program
The Community & Street Performer Program is a project of the Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) in partnership with other community organizations. The Community & Street Performer Program pays performers to appear on the streets during events and in various venues throughout Central Ohio. Tapping into the amazing talent of our city’s artists, this program shines a spotlight on the creative energy of Columbus.
Current Partners
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport
- Greater Columbus Convention Center
- Short North Alliance / Gallery Hop
- Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District / Pearl Market
- Gay St. Moonlight Market / Sunlight Market
- North Market
- General Community Events
Tools
In this section you will find a variety of tools and resources organized by discipline designed to help further your artistic career.
General
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists represents performers, journalists, technicians and other artists who work in the entertainment and news media.
Artist Help Network is based on the appendix of resources from Caroll Michels’ book “How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling Your Soul” which primarily focuses on fine artists, applied arts, arts administration and arts related fields.
Artist Trust provides vital information on healthcare, legal issues, emergency programs and much more through their resources section.
Artful.ly is an online system to manage your tickets, donations and contacts! It’s a simple, elegant way to keep track of events, people, and your everyday work. A database to help you see how you interact with your patrons, Artful.ly lets you sell tickets and take donations on your own website. Best for individual artists or small organizations with budgets less than $500,000 a year, it’s good for organizations ticketing dozens of events per year or just a few workshops.
College Art Association issues Standards and Guidelines of professional practices for the fields of art and art history—which are developed by CAA’s committee, special task forces, and affiliated societies and presented to the Board of Directors for approval or endorsement.
Fractured Atlas empowers artists, arts organizations, and other cultural sector stakeholders by eliminating practical barriers to artistic expression, so as to foster a more agile and resilient cultural ecosystem.
Online Portfolios: How to Setup & What to Include provides information on why and how to build an online portfolio that promotes your brand and your talent.
The Field is a service organization for independent performing artists, providing a variety of grants, residencies and workshops to artists in the performing arts fields.
Acting & Theatre
Actors Equity Association represents actors and stage managers engaged in live theater, providing negotiation services and benefits for Actors Equity members.
Filmmaking Forms – Every Filmmaking Form You’ll Ever Need in 99 Free Templates. Ease your workload (and your mind) with these free templates for everything from storyboarding to contracts to accounting.
Makeup Artist Essentials is the premiere beauty site for makeup schools, career guidance, and makeup arts education. If you want to find out how to become a makeup artist, or if you simply want to read top-notch makeup reviews and how-to tips, we’ve got everything you need.
National Alliance for Musical Theatre is a nonprofit organization serving the musical theatre community by nurturing the creation, development, production and presentation of new and classic musicals; providing a forum for the sharing of resources and information relating to professional musical theatre through communication, networking and programming; advocating for the imagination, diversity and joy unique to musical theatre. Their 160 organizational members and 40 individual members, located throughout 34 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world, and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.
Screen Actors Guild represents working actors in film, television, industrial work, commercials and videos. Enhances working conditions and offers a wide array of benefits to members.
The Actors Fund is a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.
The Impact of Regional Theatre is an interesting video that discusses the new ways of measuring and having impact, working in the theatre.
Theatre Communications Group is a national organization that focuses on strengthening the performance arts by offering information on grants, workshops, research, and information on legislative issues for both nonprofits and individual performers.
The Dramatist Guild of America is a professional association which advances the interests of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists writing for the living stage though model contracts, advocacy, educational programs, and publications.
Dance
Career Transitions for Dancers provides career counseling, bridge scholarships for dancers, workshops, resources and multiple other services.
Dance/USA sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of dance artists, administrators, and organizations.
Media Arts
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture is a nonprofit association whose membership comprises a diverse mix of organizations and individuals dedicated to a common goal: the support and advocacy of independent film, video, audio and digital arts.
Music
American Composers Alliance publishes, promotes, preserves and protects concert music by American composers.
American Composers Forum supports composers and develops new markets for their music, providing resources such as grants, commissions and other career development assistance.
American Federation of Musicians represents the interests of professional musicians with legal issues, health and pension benefits and provides resources and networking opportunities.
Chamber Music America is a national service organization for ensemble music professionals that serves the community by providing access to an array of professional resources and benefits, professional development seminars, grants and awards, and—through its National Conference and interactive website—opportunities to connect with musicians, presenters, managers and other chamber music professionals across the country.
New Music USA increases opportunities for composers through residencies, education, audience interactive programs, and support for the creation of new work.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is a membership organization providing licensing and distribution representation and distributes royalties for copyrighted works specifically for composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers.
Visual Arts
American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit educational organization that promotes understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. Programs include the bimonthly magazine American Craft, annual juried shows presenting artists and their work, the Aileen Osborn Webb Awards honoring those who enrich the craft field, as well as a specialized library, various workshops, seminars and conferences.
Creating a Living Legacy is a program of the Joan Mitchell Foundation that provides support to visual artists in creating, through organizing and inventorying, comprehensive documentation of their artworks and careers.
Glass Art Society is an international nonprofit organization that holds an annual conference, publishes the Glass Art Society Journal and provides online versions of GASnews and the Glass Art Society Member Directory.
Public Art Network formed in 2000 by Americans for the Arts, is designed to assist those in the field of public art with specific resources, networking listserv, and a public art program directory.
Society for North American Goldsmiths supports and advances the professional practice of artists, designers, jewelers and metalsmiths. Through education, innovation and leadership, SNAG provides access to a vibrant and passionate community.
Writing
American Society of Journalists and Authors is the nation’s professional organization of independent nonfiction writers with more than 1,300 members of outstanding freelance writers of magazine articles, trade books, and many other forms of nonfiction writing. ASJA offers extensive benefits and services focusing on professional development, including regular confidential market information, meetings with editors and others in the field, an exclusive referral service, seminars and workshops, discount services and, above all, the opportunity for members to explore professional issues and concerns with their peers.
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers, 500 college and university creative writing programs, and 125 writers’ conferences and centers. Their mission is to foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing.
Have an opportunity or resource to share? Email Alison Barret at ABarret@gcac.org.