Holistically addressing the documented needs of practicing artists, this book applies contemporary business management principles to the unique circumstances of people who make their living through creative expression.

Artists looking to forge a career have had to turn to either entrepreneurship resources or professional practice tools specific to a discipline such as studio arts or theatre—but the business-school entrepreneurial approach conflicts with the way artists make work and the unique structures of the artist environment, while the professional practice focus neglects the necessary business theory and the wide range of ways artists create viable careers. For the first time, this book provides a comprehensive theoretical and practical foundation for understanding how artists create practices that endure. Employing a strategic management framework, the book spells out prevailing business strategies in marketing, finance, human resources, and the legal environment from an arts-specific and artist-friendly point of view. In a world of perpetually changing communication, distribution, and technology, it also offers a lasting framework and understanding of the broader arts economy, while highlighting contemporary tools and tactics to implement the theories in individual practices.

Practicing artists and students preparing for a career in any of the arts disciplines will welcome the artist’s perspective and the many examples from the lives of working artists in a variety of endeavors, while instructors in arts management, administration, and entrepreneurship will appreciate this comprehensive text with research-based pedagogy addressing their needs.

Diane R. Scott is an arts administrator, educator, and writer specializing in the development of resources and programming to support artists in the management of enduring artistic practices. The Director of Artist Services at Mid-America Arts Alliance, Scott is the founding director and principal designer of the Artist INC professional development program. Now in its 16th year, Artist INC programs have been completed by more than 2,500 artists.