Practice Best Practice workshops
This series teaches artists, businesses, and non-profits best practices and ways to work with the others to foster professional and financial success.
- Showing for Exposure
- Your Art Collection
- Artist Residencies
- Grant Writing for Artists
- Taxes for Creatives
- National Park Residencies
- Bookkeeping for Creatives
- Pay Equity for Freelancers
- Helping Creatives to Sell
- Project Planning for Creatives
- Writing Placemaking Grants
- Essential Marketing for Creatives
- Tax Planning and Schedule C
- Accessing Affordable Healthcare
WEDNESDAY, September 18, 2024, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Accessing Affordable Healthcare for Creatives
Affordable health care is something everyone should have access to.
Recently the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act have increased and
the income eligibility levels for those subsidies and medicaid have
also increased. Many people do not have heath insurance because they
believe they are not eligible for support and think it will be too
expensive or they find the process of accessing it too cumbersome.
This workshop will help you understand the process, learn more about
your eligibility and show you resources to help you access the
insurance you and your kids need and are entitled to.
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The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Carla Abreu-Pavao
Carla brings over 17 years of experience in community work. She began
her career in 2004 as a Medical Assistant at her local Community
Health Center. Her career trajectory led her through various
departments, eventually specializing in Patient Benefits, where she
worked closely with MassHealth and the Health Connector. She served as
a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) and, subsequently, as a Lead
Navigator for over seven years. Currently, Carla is a Community
Specialist for the Health Connector, assisting individuals across
Massachusetts with affordable health insurance applications and
enrollment. She is tri-lingual, fluent in English, Portuguese (her
native language), and Spanish.
Thalia Mercedes
Thalia Mercedes is a Communications and Outreach Associate at the
Massachusetts Health Connector, where she focuses on community
engagement through public webinars and outreach initiatives. Her
expertise encompasses the Health Connector’s enrollment process,
eligibility criteria, and available resources, which are essential for
helping vulnerable populations understand their healthcare coverage.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, September 13, 2023, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Tax Planning and Schedule C for Creatives: Filing as a Business Since You Are One
When you receive a grant for a project that is paid to you as an
individual your first reaction is to rejoice: you got funding! Your
next should be how am I going to track the income and expenses so I
don’t pay too much of the money as taxes. This workshop provides
info to help you understand planning for taxes, organizing record
keeping and what you can write off against your 1099 (grant & other)
income. We focused on how to manage tracking what should be
declared on your Schedule C or other tax records filed under your own
tax id.
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The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Jenny Clark
Founder of Innovative Cloud Accounting, Inc., a bookkeeping, and
consulting firm supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and
individuals with bookkeeping, consulting and setup. Before starting IC
Accounting in 2020, Jenny worked for 8 years as a Bookkeeper and
Onboarding Manager for another firm. She was responsible for bringing
on new clients, cleaning up their accounting software and reviewing
the needs of the clients. She was the full charge bookkeeper for the
old firm as well as other clients through that firm.
Melissa Rizzo, MST
Melissa is the owner of MRizzo Tax where she focuses on business
advisory and tax services for small business clients. Melissa has been
in the accounting industry for over 15 years helping business grow by
providing insight on budgeting and cash flow analysis. She also helps
prepare tax returns for ongoing clients as well as the clients of IC
accounting.
Before starting MRizzo Tax, Melissa worked as a tax accountant in public
accounting working with an array of industries. She also spent time as a
managing director of a large bookkeeping firm out of Providence RI.
www.mrizzotax.com
Denn Santoro
Although he is a working fine art photographer, his background and
career experience is wildly varied. From an early career in human
services to a stint in politics and a couple of decades in policy
development in childrens’ services and health care he has worn many
professional hats. He started his own consulting company, Resource Development Associates, a couple of
years out of college, first doing policy development and management
consulting, then moving into database development. Basically,
everything was centered around his nature as a problem solver. He
continues to run the consulting company and his other small businesses
as well. Over the years he has learned a lot about running businesses,
being a working artist and how to avoid being taken advantage of as an
artist and a freelancer. He has been filing a schedule C for over 4 decades.
Thanks to our principal sponsor Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition. Thanks also to our other generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the Dartmouth, Carver & New Bedford Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, June 7, 2023, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Essential Marketing for Creatives: How to Promote Yourself and Get Results
Even the most interesting work you can do can
languish if no one is aware of it. Learn why you need marketing through
social media and how to promote yourself (and get results) through that
and effective email blasts. Learn how to manage your marketing and your
public identity. Find out the basics of how often to put things out and
what are the basics of good posts in social media and good content in
email blasts. Learn some basics of the tools available for social media
management and email marketing creation. This is a basic level workshop
and no previous experience is necessary.
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The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Helen Granger
Helen Granger is an artist and design professional with skills in
website design & development, brand building, print and digital
production, graphic design, information organization, and production
management. As an artist her work has been shown in New Bedford and
Southcoast galleries & museums. She has been working in graphic design
for over 30 years and has been building websites since the since the
90s. She has an abiding interest in how the organization of
information effects our comprehension of the information presented.
Patti Rego
Patti Rego is the Executive Director of Viva Fall River, a
community-based commerce, culture, and creative economy initiative
that draws on the City’s unique and diverse assets to foster economic
revitalization, support active community engagement, inspire a vibrant
arts scene, and elevate the profile of the City as a premiere South
Coast destination.
Born and raised in Fall River, MA, Patti returned to the South Coast in 2015
after 17 years working in the marketing, communications, and event departments
of notable publishing and media companies in New York City. Following 5 years as
the Director of Marketing & Communications for the social justice non-profit,
The Marion Institute, she became the Executive Director of Viva Fall River in
June 2021. With this pivotal new role, Patti is fulfilling a long-time goal of
being able to make a difference in a community that she deeply loves. In
addition, she is the co-founder and “chief city cheerleader” at We Love Fall
River, a social media movement that promotes positive narratives about Fall
River.
Patti is an active participant in the regional community: she’s co-chair of the
SouthCoast Spring Arts’ Steering Committee, serves on the Executive Committee of
the Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition (FRACC), and sits on the Fall River YMCA
Advisory Board and the Southeastern Massachusetts Visitors Bureau Board of
Directors.
Patti graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2000
with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising & Marketing Communications. She is
also a 2019 graduate of Leadership Southcoast. When not working, Patti tries her
best to keep up with her effervescent daughter, Maxine, and make sure her dog
Tig doesn’t sneak too many treats. She enjoys practicing yoga and is an avid
indoor cyclist, loves planning social events (like her daughters’ yearly
birthday extravaganzas) and is a devoted indoor gardener with a passion for
spider plants
Alison Wells
Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, Alison Wells relocated to the South
Coast of Massachusetts in 2004, to pursue a Masters Degree in Fine Art
Painting at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Alison's paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally
and her work is part of private, public and corporate collections. Her most
recent local public commissions were for the Boston Children’s Hospital in both
Boston & Dartmouth MA, St Luke's Hospital in New Bedford MA and UMASS Memorial,
Worcester, MA.
Wells is the owner of Alison Wells Fine Art Gallery and Studio in
historic downtown New Bedford where she showcases her paintings and features
guest artists throughout the year. Alison's artwork has been featured in several
publications such as Harvard Magazine, Art New England, the Boston Globe,
Artscope and South Coast Almanac to name a few.
Alison Wells lives and works as a full time Artist, Art Educator, Curator and Gallerist in New Bedford Massachusetts.
Thanks to our principal sponsor Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition. Thanks also to our other generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the Dartmouth, Carver & New Bedford Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, February 15, 2023, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Writing Placemaking Grants
Publicly accessible art and community participation are at the
heart of many arts and culture grants, known as place-based grants.
This workshop covers the basic building blocks that make up a
proposal, including the review process and how to persevere through
rejection. Led by reviewers and successful grant writers with
place-based grant experience, they discuss what makes a good
proposal and what makes a good placemaking project. Participants will
leave empowered and prepared to write a grant proposal.
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The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Dawn Estabrooks Salerno
Dawn Estabrooks Salerno has been working in the museum field for over
25 years, including positions at the Wadsworth Atheneum (Hartford,
CT), Mystic Museum of Art (Mystic, CT), and currently, the
Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum (New Bedford, MA). She holds a
Master’s in Education from Bank Street College and completed the Getty
Leadership Institute for Museum Leadership in 2017. She also serves on
several local leadership groups including the South Coast Community
Foundation Corporators, NB Creative Consortium, and New Bedford
Education Foundation. Dawn has been writing grants for most of her
career. She has also been a grant reviewer for the National Endowment
for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS), the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New Bedford Local
Cultural Council and NB Creative. At Connecticut Humanities, she not
only reviewed grants, but also served as the Chair of the Grants
Committee, helping design the overall grant program. She has published
articles and essays, and presented extensively about the museum field
in various blogs, magazines, on-line publications, and books, most
recently on the subject of equitable compensation.
Dena Haden
Dena Haden received her BFA from UMass Dartmouth and her MFA from the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Currently she is
the co-founder and Director of the Co-Creative Center, a space that
offers artists the ability to develop and create the work they are
passionate about, while offering the opportunity for community growth
and collaboration. Haden is also the co-founder for SuperflatNB, a
Mural Arts organization in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She is the
Co-Chair of the New Bedford Creative Consortium and the Director of
the Boston Art Critique Group. For her work in the arts, Haden has
received many awards and grants, including the South Coast Emerging
Leader Award, Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth, and a Mass Cultural Council Grant. In
addition to her work in the arts community, she has an extensive
exhibition record of her own, with numerous solo and group exhibitions
in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and around the North East of the
United States. Haden has also exhibited her work and received
recognition internationally in Europe and now Japan. Dena was recently
enrolled in a residency at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in
Tennessee, Baroque Blue Residency in Nardo, Italy and is continuously
working in a year long residency with Oika and the Maria Mitchell
Association on Nantucket, MA
Abby Hevey
Abby Hevey is the Manager of Grants & Development for Coastal Foodshed
and the Development Consultant for Youth Opportunities Unlimited
(Y.O.U.). Abby began working in communications and development in 2011
and has written and managed dozens of successful grant applications
from private, state, and federal funders. Abby has also consulted as a
grant writer and grant manager for a number of local nonprofits, and
has successfully secured grant funding for a range of projects,
including infrastructure, youth programs, arts and culture programs,
capital projects, local food programs, mental health programs, and
more. Abby is also a Trustee for The Millicent Library in Fairhaven
and a mother to two beautiful and energetic children.
Thanks to our major sponsors Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition & New Bedford Creative. Thanks also to our other generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the Dartmouth, Carver & New Bedford Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, January 18, 2023, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Project Planning for Creatives
Many of the things creatives do require a complex set of plans.
Deciding the type of project, its goals, the scope, the timeline, the
materials, the team (if any), the budget, finding funding, or
producing a project proposal on guesswork and marketing… can feel
daunting without a plan. This workshop breaks that down into more
straightforward ways of planning and developing a project for any
creative person. A plan you can execute is more likely to lead to
success than flying by the seat of your pants. Participants will learn
how to plan an appropriate project for the appropriate opportunity.
This is an introductory-level workshop.
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The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Kat Knutsen
Kat Knutsen is a multimedia artist with a focus on community
engagement, visual design production, and education. She teaches
drawing, painting, computer graphics, digital photography, video art,
and visual design at the college level. She worked as an animator for
the Oscar-nominated film ‘Loving Vincent’ in Gdansk, Poland where she
became inspired to build project pipelines.
In 2020 Kat was the designer and lead painter for the ‘Jazz Mural’ that was
installed in downtown New Bedford. She went on to create the ‘Dance Mural’ for
the CEDC in 2021, managed artists for the install of ‘Flora Fauna’ mural panels,
and executed a commercial design for ‘Hatch Street Studios’ in 2022. Kat uses
the projects to recruit and integrate new creatives into the local art scene.
“I’m inspired by the ripple effects that come from lateral thinking. The arts
directly connect to city’s history and business entities. I love being a part of
a community that not only makes ideas come to life, but also enhances the growth
of small businesses in and around New Bedford. It would be amazing if the music
scene mixed more with the visual arts and city events scenes. That mixing is
where my most recent efforts have been invested, and I’m already seeing a lot of
potential here.”
Jim McKeag
Jim McKeag is the Southcoast Cluster Lead Strategist for
MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), a
place-based development program for Gateway Cities designed to enhance
local public-private engagement and community identity, stimulate
improved quality of life for local residents, and spur increased
investment and economic activity. He also served as a TDI Fellow in
New Bedford from 2016-2019.
Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, Jim has over twenty-five years of
experience in the fields of urban planning, historic preservation, housing
rehabilitation, and property management. Creating vibrant and engaging public
spaces has been central in his work and he has led many placemaking and public
art initiatives. As a trained mediator, he has a passion for working with
multi-sector partnerships on challenging urban revitalization and economic
development initiatives and has served as an independent planning consultant for
a wide variety of municipal and community development projects. He holds
undergraduate degrees from Quinsigamond Community College and Cornell
University, and a Masters Degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
from Tufts University.
Mark Parsons
Mark Parsons is an entrepreneur, artist, educator, and technologist.
He is the founder and Executive Director of New Bedford Research &
Robotics (2022). Parsons advises startups, and sits on industrial and
educational advisory boards, including a 2019 appointment by the US
Department of State as a US Speaker on Creativity, Innovation and
Technology. As an artist he has numerous commissions, museum and
gallery exhibitions, and has lectured internationally. His 2016 TEDx
talk “Making a Thing. Discovering a Space” underscores how creativity
and technology can be agents that empower people and bring communities
together.
Parsons has previously served as Founder of NYC’s Consortium for Research & Robotics, Director of Production Technologies at Pratt Institute Architecture, and a Director of NYSED’s STEP program.
After graduating from UMass Dartmouth in 1992, Parsons sailed 3 years and 30,000
miles around the globe on a 40 foot sailboat he rebuilt, then returned to
working as a carpenter in New Bedford Massachusetts before pursuing a graduate
degree from Cornell University and heading to New York City. After 24 years in
Brooklyn, he is now home in New England again.
Thanks to our principal sponsor Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition. Thanks also to our other generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the Dartmouth, Carver & New Bedford Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program was held on Zoom.
Resources
There were no handouts for this workshopWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Helping Creatives to Sell
Creatives have to manage a variety of issues when it comes to selling their work. This ranges from finding venues to sell in to setting prices for the work. This workshop covered many of these issues including:
- Pricing
- Sales at open studios
- Gallery shows
- Commissioned pieces
- Managing requests for discounts
Sales at open studios - open studios tend to be high traffic events. Unlike a gallery opening with a selected group of art appreciators, open studios require the ability to connect quickly with potential buyers, ask some opening questions, and to sell works today or schedule a time to meet and sell later (if they have to measure, for instance). Open studios are sales opportunities and it’s important to prepare for them to make it easy for the buyer to buy now.
Gallery shows - these tend to be invitation only for the opening and the artist is usually present. It’s an opportunity for the artist to talk to potential buyers about what they like, if they are collectors, and to be open to discussing how they work and what inspires them. It’s the gallery owners role to sell the art and the artists role to add panache and value to the event.
Commissioned pieces - How to price these, how to discuss pricing with client about specific items.
Managing requests for discounts - this can be more common at open studios than at gallery openings (the latter at which the artist would not be involved). Questions to ask to clarify the request for discounts, asking closing questions, managing pricing requests and objections. Jody Seivertt, M.Ed., IDS presenting
This workshop happened in person and on zoom simultaneously.
Presenters
Jody Seivert, M.Ed., IDS
Jody Seivert has been
producing results in upper end, home fashion and design industries
since 1979. She has been successful in a variety of positions in
retail and wholesale, was a successful designer and an award winning
regional and national training specialist with Ethan Allen and General
Manager of Cabot House – a chain of high-end furniture and design
stores in New England.
As an independent training and development consultant since 1988, Jody created
and delivered sales and sales management training programs for La-Z-Boy and
Thomasville and their retailers across the nation. In 1994 she expanded beyond
retail to design centers across the nation. Trade showrooms clients include
Holly Hunt, Kravet, Stark, Waterworks, Janus et Cie, Artistic Tile, Quintus,
Thomas Lavin, and Century. Her executive coaching to designers and outside
salespeople has created double digit increases in their business.
Jody holds a
Master’s in Education with a concentration in adult learning. She is a certified
residential interior designer, a professional member of IFDA, has CEU programs
with IDCEC/ASID and has numerous other association memberships and is a
regularly featured speaker at High Point Furniture Market.
In short, Jody Seivert helps home furnishings and creative professionals to make more money.
Anthi Frangiadis
Anthi Frangiadis is an architect, artist and retailer whose professional career
is currently based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Educated at the Rhode Island
School of Design where she received a Bachelor of Architecture & Bachelor of
Fine Arts, with a Concentration in Art History, her artwork and her retail shop
compliment her professional career as an architect. The joy and creativity
infused in her architectural projects eventually spilled over into an art and
design shop, The Drawing Room which is located at 22 William St. in historic
downtown New Bedford.
Thanks to our generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the New Bedford, Middleborough, Acushnet & Dartmouth Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program was held on Zoom and in person.
Resources
Pay Equity and Justice Calculator (xlsx spreadsheet) by Practice Best PracticePay Equity and Justice Calculator (xls spreadsheet) by Practice Best Practice
Pay Equity and Justice Calculator (numbers spreadsheet) by Practice Best Practice
Pay Equity Research Presentation by Denn Santoro PDF
Employee or Freelancer Classification presentation by Nirali Patel PDF
Are you an independent contractor brochure PDF
Misclassification brochure PDF
Testimony on Freelancer Pay Equity and Justice to the Mass Cultural Council by PBP
Staffing the Mission Report: Improving Jobs in the Nonprofit Sector PDF
Staffing the Mission Web Site with more resources
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Pay Equity and Justice for Freelancers
What hourly pay provided to a freelancer amounts to minimum wage
for an employee, a living wage or a reasonable professional wage?
While it is hard to be precise it is possible to create reasonable
estimates. We believe that funders, freelancers and the organizations
that hire them have a role to play in creating equity and justice in
freelancer pay. This workshop is for all three groups. It includes
discussions of the compensation research, explanations of the various
costs freelancers are responsible for that employers cover for wage
earners and calculations of the real value of freelance pay when
freelance costs for taxes and other benefits are taken into account.
It also covers the rules for classifying a position as freelance
or employee.
A free calculator for translating freelance hourly wage to employee
hourly wage equivalent is also now available in the resources.
The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Eric Esteves, Executive Director, The Lenny Zakim Fund
Eric
is a philanthropist, educator, artist, community advocate, and technologist,
Executive Director Eric Esteves previously served as Director of the Social
Innovation Fund at The Boston Foundation. He also served as a consultant for
Root Cause, Harvard Business School’s Interpersonal Skills Development Lab, and
the Boston Impact Initiative. In 2019, he co-directed LeadBoston, an
experiential professional development program focused on socially responsible
leadership, based at YW Boston. Eric received both his undergraduate degree in
Business Administration and his graduate degree in Information Systems from
Northeastern University. A resident of Roxbury, he spent the early part of his
career in educational technology, including leadership roles at Lesley
University and Boston Public Schools. Eric gets excited about the usual things;
trivia, hip-hop, kayaking, genealogy, politics, social justice, photography,
poetry, sweet potato pie, and to-do lists.
Nirali Patel, ABA Legal Fellow, LITC, Greater Boston Legal Services
Nirali is an ABA Legal Fellow at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)
in the Low-Income Tax Clinic (LITC). Her fellowship project focuses on
providing education and legal assistance to workers misclassified as
independent contractors. Prior to working at GBLS, Ms. Patel interned
at Rhode Island Legal Services where she helped clients file tax
returns and settle tax debts. Ms. Patel graduated from Roger Williams
University School of Law in 2021 and was admitted to practice law in
Massachusetts in December 2021.
Denn Santoro, Program Manger for Practice Best Practice
Although he is a working fine art photographer, his background and
career experience is wildly varied. From an early career in human
services to a stint in politics and a couple of decades in policy
development in childrens’ services and health care he has worn many
professional hats. He started his own consulting company, Resource Development Associates, a couple of
years out of college, first doing policy development and management
consulting, then moving into database development. Basically,
everything was centered around his nature as a problem solver. He
continues to run the consulting company and his other small businesses
as well. Over the years he has learned a lot about running businesses,
being a working artist and how to avoid being taken advantage of as an
artist and a freelancer.
Resource Development Associates
Thanks to our generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from the Co-Creative Sessions, Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the New Bedford, Middleborough, Acushnet & Dartmouth Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The program will be held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Art of Numbers: Bookkeeping for Creatives
This workshop is for creatives of all disciplines (music, fine art,
craft, performance, dance, etc.) who want to improve, heal, renew, or
start a new relationship with money. This was a workshop on what
creatives who make or spend any money in their creative practice
should be keeping track of and ways to do so easily and as part of
your practice. We have free and inexpensive software
recommendations, ideas about systems you can set up and more.
The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Lisa Aldrich, President, Lisa Aldrich CPA PC
Lisa
provides personalized, thoughtful, accounting and tax services
tailored to unique small business needs. As a CPA for over 20 years,
Lisa has worked with a variety of clients in many different
industries. She has a particular knack for breaking down the language
of accounting and helping small business owners translate what’s
happening financially in their business into the formal numbers needed
to report to banks and for tax reporting.
Lisa worked in private
industry for many years as Controller and Finance Director. After
gaining increasing responsibility in financial operations at a small
family-owned company and also at larger ones like Aetna, and Boston
Medical Center, Lisa came home to her native Dartmouth to raise her
two young daughters. Now she helps individuals, small businesses, and
local non-profit organizations keep current with their accounting and
tax compliance requirements.
Lisa Aldrich, CPA
Dolly Towne, Owner, Bookkeeping Towne, LLC
Dolly has been in this industry for fifteen years. Her professional journey started by earning her business management degree from New England College of Business in Boston. She attended school while working towards her degree. She built her accounting skills by working at businesses by helping with collections, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll tax analysis.
She started in the corporate world helping people understand the value of good
financial health. After a major professional challenge of trying to juggle
working and being a new mom, it seemed like the right time to quit her job. She
decided to be a stay at home mom for the time being which was great because she
bonded with her son. She still felt that something was missing – she wanted to
do something that she was passionate about. She started to look at work at home
jobs and bookkeeping kept popping up so she took a leap of faith and went for
it. After completing the course, she knew this is exactly what she wanted to
do!
Bookkeeping Towne, LLC
Lisa Raiche, CPA MST
is the Founder of Bodhi
Business Advisors, Inc., a boutique business advisory and consulting
firm supporting entrepreneurs with short- & long-term strategic
business planning, financial modeling (budgets & forecasts) and
pricing.
Before starting Bodhi Business Advisors, Inc., Lisa worked for 15
years as an accountant & tax planner in Public Accounting working with
small business owners to organize their business books & creating
comprehensive tax plans. She was also a controller in private
industries, including software & market intelligence creating
financial forecasts & analyzing actual business results for
international companies.
She is also an active member of the Community wearing many hats at Entrepreneurs
For All (EForAll) Southcoast to include the Leadership Advisory Board, Chair of
the Advisory Board Governance Committee, an educational contributor for cohort
program and committee for Women's Leadership Initiative. She also serves on the
Board of Directors for Gnome, Inc. (Gnome Surf) and as a Corporator for
BankFive. Lisa is proud to be a Rotarian and a member of the Rotary Club of Fall
River, MA. As the past Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Fall River and a Paul
Harris Fellow, she lives by the Rotary International motto 'Service Above
Self'
Bodhi Business Advisors
Hollis Machala, RIWS
Besides being an artist who uses a bookkeeper,
Hollis is a watercolor painter, alchemist, and puzzle designer based in Rehoboth
MA. Her journey started after finally accepting her internal battle with ulnar
nerve syndrome and through a love of interior design began a journey with art
fulltime. Through her education and trials in graphic design & multi-media, she
began to focus on specifically using watercolor art to help intentionally curate
the spaces where we live our lives to reflect what we love and value most in
this world.
Hollis received her Bachelor of Arts in interior design from, the former, Mount
Ida College in 2006. After several years of working in lighting design and
several years in freelance graphic design & retail, she began to develop an
interest in watercolor painting. She spent four years mentoring under Award
Winning Architectural Illustrator and Watercolor Painter, Frank M. Costantino,
where her interest turned into a passion.
Now a Signature member of the Rhode
Island Watercolor Society, Hollis enjoys creating realism art, however, she is
always searching for new ways to expressively paint watercolor and design unique
art collections, such as her current laser cut, studio made, puzzles. She is
drawn to and renewed by nature, culture, photography, and food for her paintings
inspirations. “It’s never all about the analog work of making art, although it
is admittedly a favorite activity. No; creating in the studio is about
connecting others to moments, stories, and experiences that make our unique
worlds and environments truly
enjoyable.”
Hollis Machala
Thanks to our generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth & Fairhaven Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and New Bedford Creative.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
National Park Artist Residencies:
how they work, and why you should apply!
Did you know the National Park Service has over 50 artist
residencies in national parks, monuments, and historical sites across
the country? Would you like to know more about the programs and how
you might become a resident artist? This workshop is for you. Arts
administrators and Park Rangers from across the National Park Service
present about their residencies along with alumni artists who
have been residents in parks. Please watch and learn more!
The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Lindsay Compton, park ranger and arts administrator,
New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park. With a background in studio art, public land
management, and education, she has worked toward bridging the gap
between public art and national parks for the last ten years. She
created Artist in Residence programs at Congaree National Park in
South Carolina and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in
Texas. In 2017 and 2018, she served on the curatorial committee for
Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival in San Antonio, TX. She has
facilitated Artist in Residence selections for Weir Farm National
Historical Site, as well as mentoring other budding residency programs
within the National Park Service. Since August 2019, she has served as
the Arts and Youth Coordinator at New Bedford Whaling National
Historical Park.
Fitzcarmel LaMarre, Artist-in-Residence Alumni,
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Fitzcarmel LaMarre,
Artist-in-Residence Alumni, New Bedford Whaling National Historical
Park. Fitz is an artist, collaborator, and community mentor. Trained
in graphic design, his love for realism is very evident in his
paintings and murals. He enjoys the creation of graphic novels to play
with realism and fantasy; a place where he can have complete control
over the boundaries. By mimicking traditional styles and studying new
trends, his style is all his own. This style, along with humor, and
proficient execution, encourages the viewer to think beyond the image
in front of them.
Kristin Lessard, Visitor Experience Program Manager,
Weir Farm National Historical Park in CT:
Kristin Lessard has worked for the National Park Service since 2008, serving in
varied professional roles across multiple disciplines including Resource
Interpretation, Education, Public Affairs, Project Management, and Youth and
Volunteer Engagement. In her current position as Program Manager of
Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers at Weir Farm National Historical Park,
Kristin oversees the park’s visitor service operations and engagement
initiatives, which include history and fine art education programming for
approximately 40,000 visitors a year, as well as dynamic youth and volunteer
programs.
Alissa Siegal, Artist-in-Residence Alumni,
Weir Farm National Historical Park:
Alissa Siegal is a Connecticut based artist and creator. Her work centers around
the natural world, and explores tensions between chaos and order. She has a BFA
from the Rhode Island School of Design & an MFA from the New York Academy of
Art, and was Weir Farm's September 2019 Artist-in-Residence. Recent work
includes a mural for the Bennett Cancer Center and a developing mural project
with high school students for Stamford.
Jay Elhard, Park Ranger and coordinator for AIR
program,
Acadia National Park in Maine: Jay Elhard has worked since
2008 as an Interpretive Media Specialist at Acadia, Denali, and
Yellowstone National Parks. For more than 10 years, he also has
managed Artist-in-Residence programs as a collateral duty at Acadia
and Denali. He worked previously for 15 years in newspaper journalism,
publishing, and briefly as a community college instructor in Ohio. He
holds a BA in English (professional writing) and art, and an MFA in
nonfiction writing.
Deborah Bouchette, Artist-in-Residence Alumni
,
Denali National Park in Alaska: Dr. Deborah Bouchette was born into a
family of engineers, and she eventually found more than one career in
computer science. First she taught at Ball State University and
Pacific University, and then she became a technical writer and program
manager at Intel Corp., working with companies across the world. But
when her family downsized to two, she decided to pursue art: ceramics
at first, then painting and drawing.
Through a couple of serendipitous events in the 1980s, Deborah and family moved
from the midwest to the northwest, designed and built her home, and fell in love
with the plush green biosphere and its natural inhabitants. Now, at the ripe age
of retirement, this year Deborah finally earned her PhD in the philosophy of
art, writing on the topic of artist residencies as a little-known resource for
world-wide peacemaking, which is especially relevant and needed in the fractured
living environments we suffer today.
Thanks to our generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth & Fairhaven Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and New Bedford Creative.
Practice Best Practice is also supported by generous in kind support from our partners the National Park Service, New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks, New Bedford Co-creative Center, New Bedford Creative and S&G Project Gallery Art Brokerage.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Taxes for Creatives
This workshop focused on things creatives who make some, or all of their living from their creative practice, or spend money trying to make money on it,
should know about tax record keeping, tax filing, tax accounting for the costs
and income, tax planning and retirement planning.
The program was held on Zoom.
Presenters
Lisa Aldrich, President, Lisa Aldrich CPA PC
Lisa
provides personalized, thoughtful, accounting and tax services
tailored to unique small business needs. As a CPA for over 20 years,
Lisa has worked with a variety of clients in many different
industries. She has a particular knack for breaking down the language
of accounting and helping small business owners translate what’s
happening financially in their business into the formal numbers needed
to report to banks and for tax reporting.
Lisa worked in private
industry for many years as Controller and Finance Director. After
gaining increasing responsibility in financial operations at a small
family-owned company and also at larger ones like Aetna, and Boston
Medical Center, Lisa came home to her native Dartmouth to raise her
two young daughters. Now she helps individuals, small businesses, and
local non-profit organizations keep current with their accounting and
tax compliance requirements.
Lisa Aldrich, CPA
Eric R. Paradis, Financial Advisor
is a Financial Advisor of 25 years
and owner / operator of Massachusetts Financial Group based in
Dartmouth, MA. After graduating Syracuse University he immediately
began building his practice specializing in wholistic financial
planning and investments. Working with small business owners,
individuals and families alike, his practice boasts an independence
that favors the individuality and personality of the client and an
ability to adapt plans for clients as their lives, and the economy,
evolve.
erparadis@cai1.com or (508)636-5300
Lisa Raiche, CPA MST
is the Founder of Bodhi
Business Advisors, Inc., a boutique business advisory and consulting
firm supporting entrepreneurs with short- & long-term strategic
business planning, financial modeling (budgets & forecasts) and
pricing.
Before starting Bodhi Business Advisors, Inc., Lisa worked for 15
years as an accountant & tax planner in Public Accounting working with
small business owners to organize their business books & creating
comprehensive tax plans. She was also a controller in private
industries, including software & market intelligence creating
financial forecasts & analyzing actual business results for
international companies.
She is also an active member of the Community wearing many hats at Entrepreneurs
For All (EForAll) Southcoast to include the Leadership Advisory Board, Chair of
the Advisory Board Governance Committee, an educational contributor for cohort
program and committee for Women's Leadership Initiative. She also serves on the
Board of Directors for Gnome, Inc. (Gnome Surf) and as a Corporator for
BankFive. Lisa is proud to be a Rotarian and a member of the Rotary Club of Fall
River, MA. As the past Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Fall River and a Paul
Harris Fellow, she lives by the Rotary International motto 'Service Above
Self'
Bodhi Business Advisors
Thanks to our generous funders. This program is supported in part by grants from Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation and the New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth & Fairhaven Local Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and New Bedford Creative.
The program was held on Zoom.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020
Grant Writing for Artists
Mina Kim, Program Officer, Community Initiative, and Kelly Bennett, Exhibitions Curator/Program Officer, Artist Fellowships, will lead a presentation on the nuts and bolts of applying to grant programs for MA artist. They will focus primarily on grant programs and resources for individual artists as provided by the Mass Cultural Council.
Presenters
Kelly Bennett is the Mass Cultural Council’s exhibition curator and a program officer. She coordinates the statewide Artists Fellowship Program in choreography, crafts, drawing/printmaking, painting, photography, and sculpture/installation/new genres, and organizes exhibitions of fellows’ work with museums, galleries, and art centers. She coauthors the MCC’s ArtSake blog, which highlights artists’ work and posts exhibition opportunities. She has served as a juror and guest speaker for colleges, universities, museums, nonprofit art centers, and private foundations throughout New England. She received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University and her BFA in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art. She is a painter of coastal New England and supports climate science and environmental protections.
Mina Kim is Program Officer for the Community Initiative at the Mass Cultural Council. She works with cultural and civic partners in over 70 municipalities in the Commonwealth to help build relationships and understanding around the integral role of arts, culture, and creativity in cultivating healthy, inclusive communities. Before joining the Council, she served as Assistant Director of The Fenway Alliance, supporting the development of the Fenway Cultural District, cultivating new partnerships between the academic and cultural institutions, local businesses, and neighborhood coalitions, and seeking grant funding to enhance District programming. She has an MA in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a BA in history from Smith College.
The program was held on Zoom
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020 AT 4:30 PM EST – 6 PM EST
Applying for Artist Residencies
Have you ever written an application for an artist residency or fellowship? Have you not applied for one because you were not sure how to write a strong application? This workshop is for anyone who has ever thought about or tried applying for a fellowship. Learn how to write a strong application. Find out what sort of things reviewers look for.
Presenters will include Lindsay Compton of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and Jamie Uretsky of the New Bedford Art Museum. The Park's Residency program will be a primary case for discussion.
Presenters
Lindsay Compton
is a park ranger and arts
administrator. With a background in studio art, public land management,
and education, she has worked toward bridging the gap between public art
and national parks for the last ten years. She created Artist in
Residence programs at Congaree National Park in South Carolina and San
Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas. In 2017 and 2018,
she served on the curatorial committee for Luminaria Contemporary Arts
Festival in San Antonio, TX. She has facilitated Artist in Residence
selections for Weir Farm National Historical Site, as well as mentoring
other budding residency programs within the National Park Service. Since
August 2019, she has served as the Arts and Youth Coordinator at New
Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
Jamie (J.R.) Uretsky
curates independently and is a
performing artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally at
venues in New York, Los Angeles, Finland, and Germany. Her work was
included in the 2013 DeCordova Biennial at The DeCordova Sculpture Park
and Museum. She has also performed and exhibited at Art Basel Miami, FL,
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, The Carpenter Center for the
Visual Arts at Harvard University, Rhode Island School of Design Museum
as well as the Museum of Art and Design in New York. Uretsky’s work has
been published in print, online and video journals such as Headmaster
Magazine, Gaga Stigmata, Big Red & Shiny, and ASPECT: The Chronicle of
New Media Art.
Uretsky is the curator at New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!. In 2018, Uretsky received a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for her dedication to uplifting the creative expressions of people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals.
An active member of the Providence creative community, Uretsky sits on
the Dirt Palace Public Projects Board of Trustees and was a founding
board member and faculty liaison, of College Unbound, an organization
that provides higher education for underrepresented, adult learners
including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated adults. She wrote
curriculum and taught liberal arts classes about representation,
intersectionality, and identity politics for College Unbound. Uretsky
was also an adjunct professor of art and digital media at the
University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, SMFA
Boston, Roger Williams University, and the Community College of Rhode
Island.
She currently lives in Providence, RI and is the drummer of the queer punk duo Bed Death.
The program was held at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Resources
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019
Why Haven't You Started Your Art Collection Yet?
This workshop is intended to demystify art viewing and art collecting. This workshop will help to familiarize people with learning to trust your taste, attending art openings, finding art you love, and becoming comfortable with looking at art as something to acquire and live with. Discussion included: affordability of art (it isn’t just for the rich); comparability with other things people spend their money on (you could have bought a piece of art to live with for the price of that dinner at a restaurant); why art is not usually an investment but an acquisition; the importance of buying art to your local economy. There was a moderated panel of collectors and sellers and plenty of time for audience questions.
Presenters
Blake Hudson
Blake Hudson is a 24-year-old
Structural Engineer from Latham, NY. His appreciation for the arts was
developed at a young age through influences from his immediate
family. Blake himself has begun to venture down his own path, using
visual art to mark important milestones in his life and decorate his
home, while using performance art to fill his free time. Blake has
also combined two of his greatest passions, art and music, to curate
what he considers "the raddest vinyl collection east of the
Mississippi."
Art, in all its forms, has had a profound impact on Blake’s personal growth, and
he is excited to share his experience with future collectors, enthusiasts, and
creators!
Richard Connor
is a professor of biology at UMASS
Dartmouth whose research focuses on the behavior of dolphins. His
interest in visual art came relatively late in life, during a
month-long residence at the École normale supérieure in Paris, where
he had too much time to explore the museums and galleries. Richard
purchased his first paintings in Paris and has since bought pictures
in a wide range of venues, including from galleries, auctions, antique
shops, flea markets and private dealers, in person and online. As a
collector of mostly 20th century art in a variety of styles, Richard
is drawn more to paintings that have a visceral rather than
intellectual impact. Richard did not believe early advise that all
collectors become dealers, but he now represents three art
estates.
Alex Jardin
is a 30 year old Landscape Designer
from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He started collecting in 2013 when he
discovered UGLY Gallery in downtown New Bedford. The following year he
was purchasing works almost once a week, quickly growing his
collection by mostly buying directly from the artists via social
media, the artists web stores, or directly from the artists. Initially
his collections intent was to mostly purchase pieces he knew would
raise in value, but eventually transitioned to buying only stuff he
really enjoys. His collection is mainly numbered print editions but is
now growing larger with smaller sized original works. He recognized
that his biggest creative influences always used drawing and painting
for vehicles to express their ideas and has purchased pieces
specifically to study an artists process thus helping to further his
own creative abilities.
Xander Marro
is an American artist, underground
puppet maker, and arts non-profit director based in Providence, Rhode
Island.
J.R. Uretsky
curates independently and is a
performing artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally at
venues in New York, Los Angeles, Finland, and Germany. Her work was
included in the 2013 DeCordova Biennial at The DeCordova Sculpture
Park and Museum. She has also performed and exhibited at Art Basel
Miami, FL, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, The Carpenter
Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University, Rhode Island School
of Design Museum as well as the Museum of Art and Design in New York.
Uretsky’s work has been published in print, online and video journals
such as Headmaster Magazine, Gaga Stigmata, Big Red & Shiny, and
ASPECT: The Chronicle of New Media Art.
Uretsky is the curator at New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!. This year, Uretsky
received a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for her dedication to uplifting the
creative expressions of people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals.
The program was held at S&G Project Gallery
Resources
Things to Know Before You Show PDFTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018
Showing for Exposure - How to Avoid Classic Artist Mistakes and Get Yourself Paid
This workshop included a panel presentation and discussion. The target audience is primarily artists wishing to exhibit and sell their art work. There are many ways that art is displayed and sold from galleries, to stores to businesses wishing to display local art on their walls. Artists are often focused on creating and not on how to manage the business side of their endeavors. Organizations wishing to show local art often focus on only their perspective and best interest and often end up taking advantage of the artists. Artists should know how to work out business relationships with organizations showing and selling their art work that incorporate the needs of the artists and the needs of the organizations and an understanding of the overall art market.
Presenters
Donna Dodson
is an American sculptor who has been
honored with solo shows nationwide for her artwork. In addition her
monumental works have been exhibited internationally in sculpture
parks and art museums. In 2011 Dodson participated in the Verbier 3D
Foundation’s Artist Residency and Sculpture Park in the Swiss Alps. In
2012-2014, she was featured at the Fountain Art Fair NYC in the
historic 69th Regiment Armory Building. In 2015, Donna participated in
a residency in Cusco Peru at the Escuela de Bellas Artes that
culminated in an exhibition at Museo Convento de Santo Domingo
Qorikancha with the Boston Sculptors Gallery. In 2016 she had her
first solo museum show of “Mermaids” in 2016 at the New Bedford Art
Museum. In 2017 Dodson's solo show Zodiac began a national tour. In
2018 Dodson created a life size chess set, "Match of the Matriarchs-
the cephalopods against the cetaceans" that premiered at the Boston
Sculptors Gallery. Dodson is a graduate of Wellesley College. Dodson
enjoys public speaking, and has been a guest speaker at conferences
and panels in museums and universities throughout North America. Donna
regularly contributes articles to newspapers, magazines and blogs that
demonstrate the economic impact and global reach of the arts sector.
She recently contributed an Introduction to the monograph “The
Contemporary Art of Nature: Mammals” by Ashley Rooney.
Camilo Alvarez
was born in 1976 in New York, NY
and resides in Boston, MA. He was born to Dominican parents and lived
in Santo Domingo for 7 years. He received a B.A. in Art History from
Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY) and a Masters of Liberal Arts
in Museum Studies from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA).
He has worked at Exit Art (NY, NY), Socrates Sculpture Park (Queens, NY), MIT’s
List Visual Art Center (Cambridge, MA) and the Skowhegan School of Painting &
Sculpture (NY, NY & Skowhegan, ME). He is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board at
the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston and is on the National Advisory
Council of Skidmore College’s Tang Teaching Museum. He is the Owner, Director
and Preparator at Samsøñ formerly Samson Projects, founded in 2004. He has given
solo exhibitions to William Pope.L (2010), Rebecca Morris (2006), Kader Attia
(2008), and Beverly Semmes (2017) among many. Samsøn’s programs and exhibitions
have been reviewed by the New York Times, ArtForum, the Boston Globe and Flash
Art. The gallery has participated in art fairs including ARCO (Madrid, Spain)
MACO (Mexico City, Mexico), NADA
(Miami, FL & NY, NY) and the Armory (NY, NY). Samsøñ placed works in the
permanent collections of the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art,the
Perez Art Museum Miami, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Institute of
Contemporary Boston among others. In 2010, Samsøñ commenced sübsamsøn, a form of
artist’s residency. As of 2017, Samsøñ became
itinerant.
Denn Santoro
Although he has been working on his
fine art photography since a teen, his background and career
experience is wildly varied. From an early career in human services to
a stint in politics and a couple of decades in policy development in
childrens’ services and health care his background is wildly varied. He
started hs own consulting company a couple of years out of college. first doing policy development and management consulting. Then moving
into database development. Basically, everything was centered around
his nature as a problem solver. So was his photography. Traveling
a lot with his business he got to shoot a lot of his primary subject,
buildings, all over the world. Ultimately, he realized that I could look at everything as architecture
and you see that even when he shoots performers, portraits, and flowers.
Composition and light are essential to how he shoots. When he started showing seriously in galleries he made
mistakes and learned a lot along the way. He has continued to run his
other small businesses as well. He started S&G Project Gallery in 2016. Over the
years he hse learned a lot about running businesses, being a working
artist and how to avoid being taken advantage of as an artist.
Working as an artist is both an act of creation and a problem to be solved. He
thinks artists have to take a lot of control of their careers now. They really
need to know more about business and how not to be taken advantage of as
artists.
J.R. Uretsky
curates independently and is a
performing artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally at
venues in New York, Los Angeles, Finland, and Germany. Her work was
included in the 2013 DeCordova Biennial at The DeCordova Sculpture
Park and Museum. She has also performed and exhibited at Art Basel
Miami, FL, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, The Carpenter
Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University, Rhode Island School
of Design Museum as well as the Museum of Art and Design in New York.
Uretsky’s work has been published in print, online and video journals
such as Headmaster Magazine, Gaga Stigmata, Big Red & Shiny, and
ASPECT: The Chronicle of New Media Art.
Uretsky is the curator at New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!. This year, Uretsky
received a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for her dedication to uplifting the
creative expressions of people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals.
The program was held at the New Bedford Co-Creative Center