Presentation skills of an actor

Artists and architects know how critical it is to have the edge in front of the selection committee when you REALLY want the job.  Professional development is never ending. Unless you’re an artist or architect who just gets called for the job now a days, opportunities to hone your presentation skills are pretty great.  Speaking in front of an audience still feels a bit wobbly for me so I’m eager to learn more.  If you can’t make these, the faculty at Denver Center Theatre Academy and I are putting a together a workshop  just for artists and anyone who presents to selection committee’s for really high stakes! Stay tuned.  And, aren’t you worth it?

Voice and Speech
Tues • 6-7:30pm • Jan 17-Feb 7, 4 weeks • Hilary Blair • $100
Learn how the mechanics of voice and the importance of speech relate to effective communication. You’ll learn to clarify your message with proper use of operatives through inflection, rhythm and tempo, and explore your voice with appropriate breath support and articulation. This is essential for all professionals who use their voice —public artists, actors, storytellers, business owners, etc.

Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
Tues • 7:30-9:30pm • Jan 17- Feb 7, 4 weeks • Hilary Blair • $225

Polish your presentation skills to execute clear, efficient and powerful delivery. This highly-individualized class will capitalize on your strengths, address your challenges and non-verbal aspects, and explore prosody and text to maximize your effectiveness. You’ll learn to control nerves and overcome common fears as you gain skills to make you more effective and competitive in your career.

Hilary Blair is an award winning voice-over artist and actor with over 30 years experience teaching, coaching and facilitating. She specializes in voice and public speaking. She was on faculty for the Denver Center Theatre Academy for 15 years. She works across the US providing presentation coaching for MakeMineAMillion.org, and works with businesses, arts centers, and in corporate settings for ARTiculate:Real&Clear. She is a Toastmaster and member of VASTA – the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. MFA: National Theatre Conservatory, BA: Yale University.

academy@dcpa.org or 303.446.4892  |  www.denvercenter.org/education

$1 Million Interview

$1 Million on the line
An artist recently contacted me AFTER he lost a public art competition for $1 million. The project was an amazing opportunity.  I wish he would have contacted me BEFORE his interview.

I asked him to recount his presentation. Sadly, he got tangled up describing past projects, leaving no time to ask great questions about the clients’ vision and objectives. I asked who the client was and found them to be a trusted company who is currently flat-lining. They are looking for art to solve their business pain and prevent the loss of more clients. Chalk one up for them; they recognize art can transform their business. Yea!

The new paradigm
Businesses struggling to keep audiences engaged and connected are looking for talented creatives to make thought-provoking and meaningful experiences to connect their audiences with the heart of their business.

Huge opportunities
This particular artist could have demonstrated his capabilities as a great thinker. He’s capable of elevating this particular client to the next level, easily, but he was under-prepared which cost him $1 million. That’s serious business!

Preparation
JUICY questions to ask yourself before you approach a client, or head into an interview:

1. Does my idea provoke an immediate emotional connection with their audience?
2. Could my idea create advocates or trigger a social revolution in their industry?
3. Could my idea make them a world-class organization forcing their competition to re-align around them?
4. Am I getting to the soul and the essence of their objectives?

The skinny
Your ideas can elevate their image and help them become an anchor in their community. Your ideas can drive awareness of the good they’re doing in the world.  But, you MUST know their vision and research like crazy to understand past and present success, plus understand their failures. You have the power to help a business tell their stories in ways that their audience sees themselves as the hero of THEIR vision. That’s powerful!

My team’s objective is to help you eliminate the potential risk of losing that opportunity. Our team helps you win over the committee by getting you to the core of their mission. There’s too much competition and you need to be EXCEPTIONAL conveying your ideas which will increase the love they receive from the audience they serve.

Going from good to GREAT is critical and my team is in the wings ready to take you there. Do you know how to pitch your ideas so you resonate? Do you have great interview suggestions? What has worked for you? Please let us know.

Following the dream when people tell you to quit

Think about this, before writing her first book, JK Rowling fell in love and had her first child. The marriage didn’t work so she moved back to England in 1994, broke with no job. She wanted to write the stories she told her daughter who loved them. Something in her wouldn’t give up even when her loved ones said ‘nobody makes money writing children’s books, go get a job! Hundreds of publishers rejected her stories. When she finally got a publisher to buy her first story, they only paid her £1500 pounds, and printed about a thousand copies, which all went to libraries.

Those originals copies, if you can find one, now sell for £50,000 each. She’s sold more than 400 million books and is a BILLIONAIRE! The stories of Harry Potter are amazing. What would it be like if she quit?  Thinking about her determination not to give up on her dream really chokes me up. A $1,000,000,000 might not be the goal. Being paid for what you love, that’s what many people dream of but can’t get past the fear of uncertainty.

Dreams are important, they take commitment, an iron will plus a truck load of creativity and resourcefulness. A reminder to me to stay on purpose and be strategic with my energy.  Do what it takes and don’t give up!

Stocking Stuffer Idea: “I’d rather be in the studio!”

Alyson Stanfield’s book I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotionis the most comprehensive self-promotion advice out there for artists. And not only is it packed with information, she also shows artists of all kinds how to implement each action step. The book is well designed, easy to follow, and a pleasure to read. I love the big red exclamation point that I see on the spine when it sits on my bookshelf!”

If you know an artist who would benefit from a sound advice from a loved and trusted artists’ coach, or maybe this is you, Alyson Stanfield’s book is a wonderful gift. Sale ends December 19th!

http://www.1automationwiz.com/app/?af=1164602&u=www.artbizcoach.com/santa

Press Releases

Artist Emmett Culligan, “Colid #4

With the ever shrinking number of art critiques and art writers today, I know you have BURNING QUESTIONS …

- How the heck do you get the word out about your show?

- How do you incite conversations about your work?

- How do you provoke an immediate emotional reaction from your audience?

A great resource is HARO (Help a reporter out) to give you that extra REACH to journalists looking for compelling stories.  Before you send your press release or your story, incoporate these simple ideas:

 TIP #1: Resonate with your audience. Write your story sharing WHY your creativity fills a need in the world. Your WHY is WAY more compelling than your what and your how! Are you curious about something that you’re exploring in your work? Share the idea behind your body of work?

 TIP #2: Make sure to hire an editor to tell your story in a compelling way. Everyone, even professionals work with an editor for flow, grammer and to strengthen your idea.

 TIP #3: Along with your press release send a professionally photographed image of your VERY BEST work which illustrates your vision. The visuals will compel and sway the writer to consider picking up your story.

That’s it! Get into action one step at a time. If you’re looking for a way to get press, (which by the way is WAY cheaper than paying for an advertisement), check out HARO (Help a reporter out) at www.helpareporterout.com

For more information about why starting with WHY resonates with the heart of your audience, read Start With Why, by Simon Sinek. You can also visit his website and watch his TED Talk. It’s great!

Call anytime for help or advice and happy holidays to you and your family,

From Showing to Selling Your Art

I am asked all the time to send information to artists, but I rarely do it in order to be protective of your time.

And, I’ve never recommend anyone via email or blog.

EXCEPTION: Amazing artist Carlene Frances recently introduced me to a private fine art dealer, Patrick Jolly. Patrick is also a prolific painter.

For 30 years he’s dealt significant American paintings of enduring value such as Milton Avery, Georgia O’Keefe and Albert Bierstadt, just to name a few.

Patrick is impressive, he’s sold more than $2 million in art each year for last three years, and has been in the 7-figures consistently over the last five years.

He’s registered at every major auction house in the country.

To my astonishment, that icky topic of “selling” is graceful and easy when I watch him with his clients.

His clients include: Holland & Hart, Denver Art Museum, Hexagon Investments, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Crimson Resources Management, among many others, supporting the acquisition of artworks for their collections.

As I mentioned, he is also a painter and has sold his own art successfully and is in the process of spending more time painting and has hired me to support him in that endeavor of growing his business.
OPPORTUNITY: You can learn how to sell your own work from him for almost nothing:

WORKSHOP: STOP SHOWING IT AND START SELLING IT

Two day seminar focused on the SELLING of fine art: Facilitated by Patrick Jolly

WHERE:   GILMORE ART CENTER

2119 Curtis Street

Denver, CO.  80205

303-308-1270

WHEN:         June 10^th and 11^th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

WHY:           To explore, and practice, a skill set that will guarantee sales

THE SEMINAR IS ABOUT: What, when and how to say or do something to effect a sale!

THE SEMINAR IS NOT ABOUT: Blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Texting, Power Pointing, E-mailing, Skyping

Patrick Jolly has 30 years experience as a fully self-supporting art dealer.

COST: $80 – $100 after June 6^th

LIMITED TO 30 PARTICIPANTS (12 seats are already sold so call Gilmore Art Center Today!)

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT:

Check or money order payable and mailed to: Gilmore Art Center 2119 Curtis Street Denver, CO.  80205

Credit Card: Contact Chris at the Gilmore Art Center 303-308-1270

For additional information contact Patrick Jolly at 303-534-6805

 

1615 California Street #205

Denver, CO.  80202

info@PatrickJollyFineArt.com

Patrick Jolly states: “In these challenging times any opportunity to present your art should be executed more intentionally.

“I started with absolutely nothing and I knew no one. Although I knew a ton about art I knew zero about selling. I was forced to learn how to effectively present and close and have extremely valuable techniques for selling artwork. Artists and art dealers are not “order takers” they mostly possess and implement a skill set that is more developed than a used car salesman and/or a person blessed with the gift of gab. I have valuable sales tech that I am sharing in a two day workshop.

“We will ‘breakdown’, in depth, the three parts of a sale. We will do role playing and communication drills.

“I promise that if you actually use the selling techniques, which I have practiced for thirty years, you will sell more art.”

The Arts: A viable career choice

I’m an artist (that’s not a picture of me).  It is a deeply held belief that the arts are a viable career choice.  That was the message when I grew up. My grandmother made me promise her that I would be an artist, work in the arts, or serve artists in some way through philanthropy.  The message was enormously romantic and I dove in head first!

Last week in a meeting with a new client, he asked me a question as we were concluding our business. Now it’s important for you to know the context of our business. He’s requested that I help him develop a strategy to implement art in public spaces for his arts district.

Here’s the question he asked me, “Colleen, what’s the difference between an artist and a pizza delivery person?”… When I asked “What?”, he said “A pizza delivery person can feed a family of four!”

I didn’t think this joke was funny, especially when he’s hiring me to help him add art to his public spaces!

Here’s the deal, let’s make sure these types of jokes no longer come out of our mouths…. they suck!  This just perpetuates an antiquated idea that’s not even true!  The most highly compensated people on earth are artists and entertainers!

Check out this wonderful blog a colleague from Thriving Artist Alliance, Laura Cowperthwaite shared with me today. The writer of this blog states the same belief, that you can make a better that decent living as a creative! http://www.thursdaybram.com/the-starving-writer-mindset-has-to-end

Hooray that someone said it out loud!  Please make me a promise that you’ll say it out loud too, “The arts ARE a viable career choice! Go ahead, follow your dreams….. just get directions, and you’ll succeed!

Master Public Art

www.fanningpartnership.com

…Imagine identifying business models that fit your artwork and nailing down one or more income streams. This starts by building a strong foundation with a strategic PLAN to set the course to acheive your goals. If you get cracking you will make 2011 better than 2010.  Guaranteed!

The Plan is the tool that separates the well-meaning amateur artists from the professionals, the dividing line between average and the best-in-the-world. Flying by the seat of your pants, merely responding to opportunities that come to you without identifying what YOU want in YOUR life and setting a course towards those goals, will never serve you. Starting a business, hanging a sign, spending cash on a website, and hoping people will come to you will NEVER create a tipping point for sustainable income that allows you to keep making art!

Planning Manages Overwhelm

Listen, I get it folks, there’s nothing sexy about planning, but it’s CRITICAL. Let’s look at your foundation before you start the upcoming year. The foundation of your business supports every relationship you build, the proposals you write and the way you communicate with key stakeholders. Let’s look at 2009 and 2010 what worked, and what didn’t. Let’s make sure the things that didn’t work, aren’t repeated.

What this means for you…   www.fanningpartnership.com

It freaking makes me so happy to hear artists tell me they were paid for the loan of their work or that they nailed the interview and won the commission!  Serving artists, assisting in their professional development no matter where they are in their career tickles me pink!  Artists are critical to our society just like doctors. Think about it, past civilizations are remembered through the art, architecture, poetry, dance and music created by its people. Civilizations are NOT remembered from the ‘sweet’ legal and banking deals done over coctails and $500 dinners.

You as artist, as creative who contributes to the joy and pleasure in our society, know this to be true. I want you to earn sustainable or ‘beyond your wildest dreams’ income. Yet this is what I hear:

· You haven’t met your financial goal of being awarded a specific commission amount (i.e., $50,000, $100,000, $500,000, $1 million),

· You don’t have the reputation or visibility established within the marketplace,

· You have little or no inroads with specific program cities, states or federal programs,

· You’re looking to expand beyond current position in the marketplace,

· You’re not playing as big as possible and have a deep interest in much bigger opportunities,

· You’re not hitting your target of pursued proposals versus those you’re winning

Here’s how we can work together: www.fanningpartnership.com

Unpack how to move forward and play bigger — step-by-step — from connecting with your passion to understanding the business strategies that will allow you reach your goals. This one-on-one program will serve you in creating a clear tangible plan of action for 2011. The time is short to get into action before the end of the year. I’m here to serve artists who desire playing a bigger game and are motivated to reach their goals. Only these artists will be accepted for the program because you’re much more fun to work with as you take action and see huge results. Check this out, if the “How To” books were enough, we’d all be rich, skinny and in love, making exactly the type of art we want to make. There’s definitely enough information out there, but it requires focusing on a PLAN and sticking to it!

www.fanningpartnership.com

What artists are saying:

“One of the BEST investments you can make in your business this year”

“You have been very helpful in suggesting ways to become more organized and professional as an artist in business. In many other ways, our friendship and our mutual concern for establishing healing alternatives for the world have been inspirational and exciting!”

“I think what is most helpful is reigning me in. My mind is creating at a much faster speed than I could ever produce in a visual way. Helping me keep focused is key.”

“We’re lucky to have you! Thanks again Colleen”

“Colleen thanks so much for all of your hard work! It was a lot of fun. I made some friends and sold some work.”

Colleen Fanning | Public Art Consultant | (303) 513-6150

colleen@fanningpartnership.com | www.fanningpartnership.com

Follow your dreams…..but get directions first!

Public Art Academy – Part 3

Located at the Embarcadero in San Francisco

Here’s two events I thought you might like to know about! A second invitation below to the DIA Public Art Master Plan Roundtable Discussion….

Public Art Academy for Artists (Part 3 of 3)
November 3, 2010, 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Aurora Fire Station #1, 9801 E. 16th Ave. at Emporia Street

Enter the door near the sculpture.
Parking: On 16th or the small parking lot to the east of the building

Directions: Head east on Colfax from Quebec, turn left on Dayton, turn right on 16th, park anywhere between Dayton and Del Mar.

About the Workshop
In this workshop, we’ll cover strategies for working with materials and budgets on the public art scale. Unlike traditional studio materials, public art requires that one look at maintenance, durability, and presentation in a new light. Materials research often requires looking at infrastructure rather than museum work and speaking with contractors rather than other artists. The cost of these materials can be shocking to artists who’ve traditionally worked with studio materials.

1. Introduction: Overview of 10 projects -conceptual to final design proposals
2. Moving from concept into buildable design – considering durable materials, researching fabrication techniques, trouble shooting possible problems.
3. How to structure your budget and time; cost estimating, collaborating with fabricators.
4. Creative collaboration: Integrating your work into the construction schedule, resources and credits. Working with other collaborators: conservator, engineer, architect, graphic designer, historian, etc.
5. Artist experience: What I learned in building my artwork, problems and how I solved them, what I would do next time.
6. Design changes: How to be flexible; How design changes and why – when the original concept/ideas may remain

Denver International Airport Art and Culture Master Plan Roundtable Discussion

HOLD THE DATE!

Thursday, November 4, 2010 3:00 – 5:00 PM / Wellington Webb Building room 4.I.5

or

Friday, November 5, 2010, 8:00 – 10:00 AM / Wellington Webb Building room 4.I.3

You are invited to participate in

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

with the planning team for the

Denver International Airport Art and Culture Master Plan

Denver International Airport is the “front porch” of Denver, Colorado, and the region, as well as the tenth busiest airport in the world.

Completed nearly 20 years ago, the airport is now undergoing its first significant expansion as a part of a long-range plan to double its capacity over the next few decades. As the airport prepares for growth, it is trying to imagine what the next opportunities are for its arts and culture program.

These roundtables invite arts organizations, artists, curators, and arts professionals from around Denver to engage in a discussion about visual arts and cultural programs throughout the region and at DIA.

Join team members Todd W. Bressi, Meridith McKinley of Via Partnership, and Deana Miller as they present an overview of the planning scope, and lead an open discussion. We will want to learn about the accomplishments and aspirations of the region’s visual arts community, and hear your ideas about how art and culture programs at DIA can:

§ create a visible, memorable image for the airport and region,

§ create a sense of connection to the region,

§ enhance the experiences passengers have at DIA,

§ act as a cultural gateway for tourists, businesses and residents,

§ present must-see events at DIA,

§ collaborate with regional cultural institutions.

There will be two roundtables so that we can ensure a vigorous, small-group discussion. Please RSVP and let us know which roundtable you would prefer to attend.

PLEASE RSVP TO: Matt.Chasansky

Thursday, November 4, 2010 3:00 – 5:00 PM / Wellington Webb Building room 4.I.5

Friday, November 5, 2010, 8:00 – 10:00 AM / Wellington Webb Building room 4.I.3

Colleen Fanning | Public Art Consultant | (303) 513-6150

colleen@fanningpartnership.com | www.fanningpartnership.com

Follow your dreams…..but get directions first!