Tools for Creators
On this page, you will find recorded workshops, toolkits, and other resources to support professional artists.
The Mississippi Arts Commission welcomes your input to help determine future session themes for individual artist workshops. Click the button below to be directed to a single-question survey where you can indicate your level of interest or suggest a new topic that appeals to you. You can also reach out to our program staff directly via email: grants@arts.ms.gov.
Ask A Professional: Emergency Resources for Artists
The Mississippi Arts Commission recently hosted a webinar with Cameron Baxter Lewis of CERF+ and Jennifer Leff of MusiCares. They shared information about resources available to individual artists during times of unexpected emergencies. Cameron and Jennifer tackled the question many artists may face at some point in their careers: What can I do when I can’t make an income through my art due to a medical emergency or an unforeseen disaster? This Ask a Professional webinar was recorded on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
Here is the information about FEMA’s recent rule change and their new tool replacement policy.
Click here to listen to a podcast that explains the new rules and policy.
Click Here to view the FEMA tool replacement policy fact sheet.
Ask A Publisher: The Process of the Book
In our latest webinar as part of the Ask a Professional series, Lisa McMurtray, Acquisitions Editor at the University Press of Mississippi, talks about the process of publishing a book from proposal to publishing. Click here to download a PDF of the presentation.
Ask a Professional: Artist Bios and Statements
In our latest webinar as part of the Ask a Professional series, Amy Beth-Rice, a Memphis-based Arts Educator, discusses Artist Bios and Statements.
Ask a Professional: Healthcare Marketplace
Did you miss our latest webinar in our Ask a Professional series, Ask A Professional: Healthcare Marketplace? Watch it now! This webinar took place on Thursday, September 28. Attendees of this webinar learned about navigating marketplace health plans and insurance. Bob Williams, Director of Life and Health Actuarial with the Department of Insurance, hosted this session.
Ask an Influencer: Let’s Discuss Social Media
Check out our latest webinar in our “Ask A Professional” series, Ask an Influencer: Let’s Discuss Social Media, hosted by social media influencer and arts educator Landon Bryant!
The webinar touched on creating social media content, working with influencers, and other aspects of social media that artists and arts organizations need to know.
Ask a Grant Writer: Before You Hit Submit
Check out our webinar in our “Ask A Professional” series, Ask a Grant Writer: Before You Hit Submit, hosted by Bob Arnold! The webinar discussed some of the essential elements of grant writing. The webinar focused on revising, editing, and proofreading.
Bob Arnold will lead this session. Bob is the Director of Grantsmanship Services for Community Works Consulting, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit consulting firm. Before joining CWC in 2022, he served as the Associate Director of Development for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, where he was responsible for the museum’s entire grants portfolio, including more than 20 annual grants and several multi-million-dollar capital grants. With a nonprofit fundraising career spanning more than 17 years, Bob has extensive experience managing all aspects of the grant lifecycle, from project design and prospecting to grant writing, reporting, and evaluation.
Ask an Accountant: Record Keeping 101
Are you covering your costs as an artist? If you’re unsure, this webinar is for you! Joyce Martelli (Fiber artist, CPA) discussed the basics of tracking arts income and expenses. She covered the ‘why’ behind keeping this information and shared tools to help with the process.
This recording took place on January 26, 2023. For more information, call 601-359-6030.
Joyce Martelli is a fiber artist and lives in Rochester, New York. Joyce’s art journey began with Music, and she is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire in Music Education. After teaching for several years, she returned to school to obtain an Accounting Degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and became a Certified Public Accountant. Since then, she has been able to combine her love of teaching and financial ability to support nonprofit organizations and small business owners. Joyce is in the Rochester CPA’s Hall of Fame and is recognized for her work with non-profits and teaching small groups to help them understand the financial side of their business.
Workshop: How Much Should I Charge?
Ask A Lawyer: Copyright & Small Claims Court
Marketing and Public Relations Guide
The Mississippi Arts Commission strives to provide helpful tools for artists and arts organizations across Mississippi. Below is a link to our Marketing and Public Relations Guide, which offers a wealth of information, from how to write a press release to handling media interviews.
We are reworking the PR guide to better align with current industry standards. Thank you for your patience.
Emergency Preparedness
If disaster struck, would you, your work, and your studio be prepared?
Ten Steps to a Career in the Arts
Use the document linked below to learn more about pursing a career in the arts, gaining worthwhile skills and experience, and how to set yourself up for a successful career in the creative sector.
Careers in and through the Arts
Toolkits & Resources
- Springboard for the Arts has created many amazing toolkits for independent artists that are free to download from their website. A selection of these are linked below:
- Artist Statement Guidelines
- Sunlight Tax does one-on-one consultations with artists, workshops with groups and hosts a podcast sharing tips from tax experts and creators.