Professional Development

Helping you grow

South Arts is committed to supporting arts professionals in their growth at any stage in their career. Check this page frequently for upcoming and archival learning opportunities and resources.

Upcoming Webinars

South Arts does not have any upcoming webinars planned. Please browse our recordings below, and continue to check this page for upcoming learning opportunities.

Past Webinars

Tax Basics for Creatives

If it is true that the only certain things in life are death and taxes, this workshop will make navigating one of those things considerably easier. We’ll review federal income tax basics for creative individuals, including common deductions claimed by creative entrepreneurs. We’ll also outline how the tax landscape changes based on the type of income an artist earns and highlight key aspects of tax law that impact financial wellness, including deducting interest for student loan payments and saving for retirement. We’ll touch briefly on some 2023 updates (like the new Venmo and Paypal 1099s!), and we’ll conclude by reviewing some tips and best practices to keep excellent records.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As part of this workshop, learners will master the basics of U.S. Federal income taxes so they can file 2022’s taxes with ease (or at least less stress) and plan for 2023’s. To do that, we’ll:

  • Identify ordinary and necessary deductions common to creative businesses.
  • Review the overall U.S. Federal income tax landscape.
  • Identify records to retain for tax purposes and effective systems for tracking expenses and income.

WHO IT’S FOR
This course is best for folks who have a bit of experience running a creative business and who have filed taxes at least once or twice. A bit of experience will make the information in this course make more sense. Examples in the course will cover stories from visual, literary, and performing artists.

The following webinar was recorded on January 26, 2023.

Download the Presentation Slides

In additional to the webinar recording above, South Arts held a follow-up Q&A with Elaine to address additional feedback we received. We encourage you to watch our FAQ video below or on YouTube where you can access the timecodes to skip to the parts that are more relevant to you.

FACILITATOR:

Elaine Grogan LuttrullElaine Grogan Luttrull | Founder, Minvera Financial Arts

Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC® is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals and organizations. Her workshops and presentations have been featured nationally by groups that support the arts, including Creative Capital, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Sundance, Firelight Media, the National YoungArts Foundation, and a variety of state arts councils and commissions.

Elaine spent 10 years in academia, teaching at the Columbus College of Art & Design and serving as the Department Head for Business & Entrepreneurship from 2014-2018. She regularly provides guest lectures for colleges, universities, and conservatories that serve the arts, including the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, the School of Visual Arts, and the Cleveland Institute of Arts. Before that, Elaine served as the Director of Financial Analysis for The Juilliard School and in the Transaction Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young in New York.

Elaine is the author of Arts & Numbers (Agate, B2 2013), and she has contributed regularly to industry guides, including Professional Artist magazine, Business of Art from the Center for Cultural Innovation, and Create a Living Legacy from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. She is based in Dublin, Ohio (Kaskaskia and Hopewell indigenous and cultural lands) where she serves on the boards of the Short North Alliance and Healing Broken Circles. Previous board service includes Social Ventures, the Financial Therapy Association, and the Lark Play Development Center.

Accessibility in the Arts - A workshop & discussion

Is your arts organization as accessible as it can be? Join Arts InCommunity as we discuss accessibility in the arts sector and some of the biggest hurdles that are hindering organizations from achieving greater access. Learn how improving accessibility can expand the reach of the arts in your greater community. Stick around for a virtual roundtable session to share and learn innovative ways arts organizations are addressing accessibility at their institutions.

Founded in 1974, ARTS InCommunity and partners work together to create inclusive communities where arts and culture is accessible for all individuals in the Southeast.

The following webinar was recorded on December 8, 2022.

Download the Slides

Facilitators:

Lowell FuchsLowell Fuchs: Lowell Fuchs joined InCommunity in 2018 and currently leads a division of programming called Arts InCommunity (formerly known as VSA Arts of Georgia). His work primarily takes place in the cross-sector through collaborations in the arts/cultural, public health, and community development sectors. He shares a vision for a more inclusive South where arts and culture are accessible for all individuals. Lowell received degrees in Music from the University of North Carolina Greensboro (M.M.) and Georgia State University (B.M.) focused on music composition, technology, and socially engaged art. 

Kylie MooreKylie Moore: My name is Kylie Moore. I am 35 years old and I live in Roswell, Ga. I have been a disability advocate for 7 years. I work at the Bobby Dodd Institute. I am the creator and facilitator of a unique leadership self-advocacy program called the Ambassador Program. The Ambassador Program teaches young adults with developmental disabilities how to talk about their disabilities, advocate for themselves and become influential members of their community. I currently have 36 graduates. I can't wait to continue to make a difference in the lives of others!

Preparedness As, Bs, & Cs: Beginning to Build Your Network

People often feel creating an organizational Preparedness or Business Continuity Plan is hard. However, there are basic techniques you can quickly learn; in this participatory workshop, you’ll work with others to start creating yours, build a peer support network, and walk away with tangible assets you will use as well as the Preparedness Mindset you need to finish the work.

The following webinar was recorded on November 17, 2022.

 

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Amy SchwartzmanAmy Schwartzman was a professional dancer in NYC for 11 years, working with Meredith Monk, Blondell Cummings and others.  Her work as an artist informs her work at the intersection of arts and emergency management, which she has been doing since 9/11, after serving as the Executive Director of two arts organizations. 

After 9/11, Amy was hired to work for the New York Arts Recovery Fund, created to help NYC’s artists and arts organizations recover from that disaster.  Since 2007, she has been a consultant to the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) and a member of its Steering Committee since 2018.  She also works with the Performing Arts Readiness Project (PAR), where she has designed and taught webinars on Networking for Disaster Management in the Performing Arts and Community Recovery through Arts and Culture, as well as helped organizations create business continuity plans.

Amy was brought to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to work with the RAND Corporation on the Island’s recovery plan, focusing on the recovery of artists, artisans and arts organizations and worked for FEMA in NYS after Superstorm Sandy toward the same end; at that time, she helped design and facilitate the creation of CultureAID with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

Publications include working with the RAND Corporation on its Cultural and Historical Resources Recovery Planning in Puerto Rico and The Cultural Placekeeping Guide and Essential Guidelines for Arts Responders Organizing in the Aftermath of Disaster for NCAPER.

Vote SmART '22

Vote SmART '22 is a learning session for arts advocates or those interested in learning more about supporting the arts. This virtual workshop features David Holland, Deputy Director, WESTAF and Nate McGaha, Executive Director, Arts North Carolina.   

What to expect:

  • An overview of the various roles of advocacy
  • Basic "dos and don'ts" for 501(c)3 nonprofits
  • Guide to your local advocacy organizations
  • How to build a coalition of peer advocates 
  • Regional policy issues to know about
  • National arts policy issues to know about
  • Pledge to vote!

The following webinar was recorded on October 21, 2022.


Download the Agenda Download the Webinar Slides

David Holland David Holland is the Deputy Director at WESTAF where he guides its advocacy and public policy programs; leads external relations; and spearheads leadership and professional development programming, grantmaking, and technical assistance and consulting services across teams. Holland previously served as associate director of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston and in leadership positions with VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation, VCU School of the Arts, ART 180, the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Arts & Business, and the UK innovation foundation Nesta. Holland's early career includes roles as a senior consultant with BOP Consulting, a global consultancy on culture and the creative industries, and as campaigns officer at the UK’s National Campaign for the Arts. Holland serves as the Co-Chair of the Creative States Coalition, a coalition of citizen advocacy groups and their partners, and as the Co-Administrator of the Cultural Advocacy Group, a federal advocacy coalition. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow, Commager Fellow, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Holland holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Amherst College and master’s degrees in international studies and diplomacy and the history of art from the University of London, SOAS.

Nate McGaha Nate McGaha has served as the Executive Director of Arts North Carolina, the statewide advocacy organization for the arts, since 2017 where he works for public funding and policy for the arts and arts education. He helped to create the Joint Caucus on Arts and Arts Education at the NC General Assembly, shepherded the NC Arts High School Graduation Requirement into law, and has led several statewide initiatives for relief, reopening, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to his work in advocacy, Nate was the Executive Director of Carolina Ballet in Raleigh for five years with Artistic Director Robert Weiss. Before coming to the Raleigh area he was the Director of Operations at Charlotte Ballet under the Artistic Direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride for seven years after serving as that company’s Resident Lighting Designer since 1996. Nate was also the Production Manager and Lighting Designer for the Chautauqua Ballet Company in the summer months from 1997 through 2009 and toured internationally with Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson’s Complexions Dance Company. He is a graduate of UNC School of the Arts where he received a BFA in Design and Production with concentration in Lighting Design.

Accessibility in Digital Spaces with Maria Lamardo

Join Maria Lamardo, Head of Accessibility Training and Education at CVS Health, to learn how to create accessible constituent forms, webpages, and other digital content.

The following webinar was recorded on September 16, 2022.

About Maria Lamardo

Maria Lamardo is the Head of Accessibility Training and Education at CVS Health, author and maintainer of Vue 3 Accessibility Documents, International Speaker, Front End Engineer, Vue.js Community Partner, World Vue Founder, and organizer of multiple Meetups in her area. Maria’s passion for accessibility stems from her work as a BCaBA providing behavioral therapy for people with developmental disabilities for over 8 years.

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DEIA: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Workshops

South Arts hosted a pair of online workshops on embracing DEIA values in your organization with Donna Walker-Kuhne, president of Walker International Communications Group. These workshops were offered free-of-charge, and recordings of both sessions are available below.

Overview of DEIA and Implementing it into Internal Organizational Systems

The following webinar was recorded on May 20, 2021.

This workshop will present the vocabulary of DEIA and its application to arts organizations. This includes unconscious bias, microaggressions, allyship, and becoming an anti-racist organization. We will examine and discuss how to build internal systems that enable the activation and integration of DEIA as integral to the day-to-day business. Participants can expect to participate in case study and discussions.

Through personal reflection, case study discussion, and active engagement, attendees will:

  • Gain a fundamental understanding of why DEIA is a necessary component of the DNA of arts organizations and discuss how to implement these strategies.
  • Understand the importance of this work and its direct application to their cultural organizations.
  • Learn the tools required to advance both the personal and institutional work of DEIA training.

View the Presentation Slides

View the Reading List

Referenced during the webinar: The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations from the Wallace Foundation

Incorporating DEIA Externally through Programs and Community Engagement | June 24, 2021 @ 3:30 p.m. ET

The following webinar was recorded on June 24, 2021.

We will discuss how programming impacts community building and audience development. We will discuss strategies for embedding DEIA as a component of audience development and community engagement building. We will utilize the 10 Tools for Building Audiences as part of our discussions. These tools are: Investment, Commitment, Research, Educating Your Artists and Audiences, Review and Analysis, Follow-up, Partnership, Building the Bridge, Creating Value, and Appreciation.

View the Presentation Slides

About Donna Walker-Kuhne

Donna Walker-KuhneDonna Walker-Kuhne is an award-winning thought leader, writer and strategist for community engagement, audience development, and social justice. She is President of Walker International Communications Group, a 30 year old boutique marketing, audience development, diversity training, and social justice consulting agency. She provides consulting services to numerous arts organizations throughout the world and has generated over $23 million in earned income. She is also Senior Advisor, Community Engagement, New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She is a veteran of over 22 Broadway productions and her nonprofit clients include Lincoln Center, Seattle Theater Group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and The Apollo Theater. She is co-founder of Impact Broadway a multicultural project that engages over 300 students as audience members for Broadway with the goal to empower this community to be economic drivers of new audiences for the Broadway Theater district. She is a lecturer and keynote presenter for arts conferences in Moscow, Russia, Blomfontein, South Africa, University of Berlin, AMA Conference in Edinburgh and Australian Arts Conferences. She is an adjunct Professor at New York University, Columbia University and Bank Street College.

She serves on several boards including Signature Theater, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Vice President of the Board for Newark Arts Council, HARLEM WEEK and The Harlem Arts Alliance. She is a member of The League of Professional Women in Theater and the National Theater Conference. Recipient of over 50 awards including the 2019 League of Professional Theatre Women Rachel Crothers Leadership Award and the 2019 SPAA Award for Community Service from Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration/Newark. Her first book, Invitation to the Party: Building Bridges to Arts, Culture and Community, was published in 2005 and she just completed her second book, Champions for the Arts: Lessons and Successful Strategies for Engaging Diverse Audiences. She has a weekly blog, Arts and Culture Connections that explores cultural efforts to expand diverse audiences.

Did you know?

In addition to these workshops, South Arts also offers grants for arts professionals to participate in professional development opportunities!

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Questions?

For questions about South Arts and our programming, please reach out to our team!

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