BEREA, Ky. — Helping artists gain marketing and business skills to fortify and maximize their selling potential was the topic of discussion at a Kentucky Arts Council workshop today in Berea.

Nearly 50 Kentucky artists gathered at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea to hear from experts in their field how to price, market and package products successfully. Artists also learned how to expand their reach to regional and national markets.

Education opportunities of this kind are one of the ways the arts council supports Kentucky's artists, said Lori Meadows, executive director of the state arts agency.

"Giving artists the tools they need to succeed in business is essential to those who want to live and work as full-time artists," said Meadows. "Kentucky artists contribute to their communities and the state in numerous ways and we want those contributions to be fully realized."

Artists who learn how to create and execute marketing and business plans are taking an important step towards succeeding as a business professional, said Vallorie Henderson, a management consultant with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center in Louisville and one of the day's presenters.

"Too often artists forget to look at what they do as a business," said Henderson. "It's important to remind them that they do need a business plan; they do need to discover the power of marketing beyond their own communities."

Today's workshop was free and open to all Kentucky artists. Due to an overwhelming response from artists interested in the event, the arts council will repeat the workshop Nov. 9. More information and registration will be available soon on the arts council website.

Travel assistance for the workshop is available to artists with disabilities, made possible by a grant from the National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA and the National Endowment for the Arts. Artists with disabilities who are interested should contact Sarah Schmitt, arts council access director, at
502-564-3757, ext. 492, or email her at sarah.schmitt@ky.gov.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector.

The National Arts and Disability Center is a program of the Tarjan Center at UCLA, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

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