Tricks of the Trade is a professional development seminar series for artists and creatives, held at venues throughout Berkshire County, with one session each month in the North, Central and South sections of the County!
Tricks of the Trade is a program of MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, and is produced in collaboration with Berkshire Creative, Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development and IS183 Art School, and sponsored by MCLA, Excelsior Printing, and the Appelbaum-Kahn Foundation.
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UPCOMING
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March: SCHMOOZING
Making Networking Work For You
Interacting socially with collectors, curators, gallerists, media professionals, and other artists can make a huge difference in an artist’s career – if it’s done right. Gallery owner Leslie FerrinBess Hochstein will talk about how to gracefully navigate the scene and work the room. This program will cover techniques that can help you advance your career in social situations, such as preparing the elevator pitch version of your artist’s statement; how to close the conversation (or the deal); the dont’s and do’s of the schmooze; why booze and schmooze don’t mix; and the virtual schmooze – how to capitalize on social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to expand your circle and create a positive impression.
Panelists: Leslie Ferrin (Owner of Ferrin Gallery) and Bess Hochstein (Freelance writer and Cultural Correspondent for Rural Intelligence)
- Tuesday, March 9th, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: MCLA Gallery 51
- Wednesday, March 10th, 6:30 p.m.: Lichtenstein Center for the Arts
- Thursday, March 11th, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School
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April: CREATING
How can you secure a residency?
The series come full circle. We have priced, branded, written about, showed and schmoozed about our work. So now it is time to find the time and space to be inspired and create new work.
Local artist and MCLA professor Melanie Mowinski will talk with artists and residency programs to learn how to choose the best one for you.
- Tuesday, April 13th, 6:30 p.m.: MCLA Gallery 51: TBD
- Wednesday, April 14th, 6:30 p.m.: Lichtenstein Center for the Arts: C. Ryder Cooley (Artist)
- Thursday, April 15th, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School: TBD
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PAST
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December: BRANDING
How does one artist stick out in a crowd?… and how does the artist find the crowd to stick out in?
In this age of information and advertisement overload, savvy companies understand the importance of targeting their market and creating a strong brand. A good brand appeals to all the senses, through all channels and yet continues to deliver the same message. Artists, too, must meet the challenge of branding and promoting themselves.
Jonathan Secor, MCLA’s Director of Special Programs, will interview some of the Berkshire’s branding gurus to explore the key components of a good brand and the most effective methods of delivering that brand.
- Tuesday, December 8th, 6:30 p.m.: MCLA Gallery 51: David Carriere (Author of ‘Publicity: 7 Steps to Publicize Just About Anything’) *focus on publicity
- Monday, December 14th, 6:30 p.m.: Ferrin Gallery: Kevin Sprague (Photographer, Owner of Studio Two) *focus on target market
- Thursday, December 10th, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School: Mitch and Seth Nash (Co-owners of Blue Q) *focus on branding
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January: WRITING
How does an artist write about their work?
“Revealing what, how and why you do your art does not dismantle either the beauty or mystery of it. Quite the opposite. Your effort to reach out invites others to participate in the mystery and to share the beauty.” – Ariane Goodwin, author of Writing the Artist Statement
“Revealing what, how and why you do your art does not dismantle either the beauty or mystery of it. Quite the opposite. Your effort to reach out invites others to participate in the mystery and to share the beauty.” – Ariane Goodwin, author of Writing the Artist Statement
Facilitated by gallerist Leslie Ferrin,* this workshop will look at a plethora of artist statements to understand what connects us most to the work. Participants will then use these techniques to write their own statements.
Panelists: Seth Rogovoy (Editor of Berkshire Living) and Meryl Joseph (Artist)
- Tuesday, January 12th, 6:30 p.m.: MAYA III**
- Wednesday, January 13th, 6:30 p.m.: Ferrin Gallery
- Thursday, January 14th, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School
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February: SHOWING
Which galleries should you approach and how? What other venues are there to show?
Finding galleries that relate to your work is the first step in finding a gallery that will promote and sell your work. Yet getting into a gallery is not easy. You must first navigate your way through the unwritten rules of approaching and submitting. In this workshop we will learn ways to determine which fine venues to approach and how best to go about it.
Facilitated by Jessica Conzo, MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center’s Program Coordinator.
- Tuesday, February 9th, 6:30 p.m.: MCLA Gallery 51: Cathy Deely (Producer of “Made in the USA in Pete’s Motors”) and Pip Deely (Curator) *focus on fine art galleries and non-traditional spaces
- Wednesday, February 10th, 6:30 p.m.: Lichtenstein Center for the Arts: Gail and Phil Sellers (Owners of River Hill Pottery) *focus on fairs, festivals, and trade shows
- Thursday, February 11th, 6:30 p.m.: IS183 Art School: Andrew Davis (artist and gallerist) *focus on fine art galleries and non-traditional spaces
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All workshops are free, but do require pre-registration. For more information, and/or to register, please contact MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center Program Coordinator, Jessica Conzo, at 413-663-5253 or Jessica.Conzo@mcla.edu.
Thank you to our sponsors:











