Artist Resource Collective

A human-centered approach to financial resources for artists

How do you financially sustain the person within the artist? Do you have questions about creating a financial foundation for yourself and your art?

Many artists pursue their practice without being taught the business of their pursuit. The myths that talent alone will lead to success, and that passion, dedication, and sacrifice will sustain a practice are harmful tropes that have been perpetuated for too long. Artist Resource Collective (ARC) aims to shift this narrative. Our pilot program will build a community of practice around solving common questions to build a life and career that serves you and your artistic goals.

What is Artist Resource Collective?

Artist Resource Collective (ARC) is a pilot professional development program currently for New York City-based artists working across a variety of practices, career stages and disciplines. ARC focuses on the individual first to facilitate the professional development of the artist.

Led by David Hamilton Thomson, artist and creator of the Artist Sustainability Project, we will cover various financial topics, including budgeting, banking, savings, retirement, credit, debt, taxes, business structures (LLC and 501(c)(3)), contracts, and concepts of agreement. Tools and discussions are woven into this process to help each artist define their own philosophy and core values. Guest speakers and partner organizations built into the program will give the cohort access to additional resources and networks for knowledge-building and consultation. The program will culminate in one-on-one sessions to help you align your core values with your financial, personal and artistic goals to build a life that reflects your desires.

This exciting and emergent pilot cohort will shape the future of YoungArts’ professional development offerings through artist feedback and input. 

Thank you to the Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation for making ARC possible.

Thank you to our partners at Silver Art Projects for providing space for ARC.

David Hamilton Thomson. Photo by Mark Poucher.

What will ARC participants receive?

Artists selected for the in-person pilot program will participate in a seven-week course and receive an unrestricted grant of $3,000.

When will the program take place?

The program spans seven weeks from April 29-June 14, 2024, and includes one in-person meeting per week, mostly on Monday evenings 5-8 PM at Silver Art Projects. If selected, artists will be expected to attend a majority of the sessions.

Program Schedule

Applications open: March 1, 2024
Applications close: March 22, 2024, 11:59 PM ET
Notification date: April 5, 2024

Week 1 | Monday, April 29
Week 2 | Monday, May 6 
Week 3 | Monday, May 13 
Week 4 | Monday, May 20 
Week 5 | Monday, May 27 (one-on-one meetings during this week)
Week 6 | Monday, June 3 
Week 7 | Friday, June 14 

Who is eligible to apply?

YoungArts award winners with a YoungArts Post profile (to create a profile click here) who are 20 years or older1 and based in the New York City area2.

Ten artists will be selected for the pilot cohort. The group will aim to be comprised of multi-ethnic, intergenerational, and aesthetically diverse artists (encompassing a range of income levels).

What topics will be covered during the program?

  • Core values and building a philosophy
  • Budgeting, cash flow and banking
  • Savings and retirement
  • Credit and debt
  • Taxes
  • Business Structures (LLC, 501(c)(3), S Corp, fiscal sponsorship)
  • Healthcare and wellness
  • Legal matters
    • Contracts and concepts of agreement
    • Intellectual property
    • Legacy

1  We are seeking artists across a range of career stages, disciplines, and aesthetic and ethnic identities. The ideal candidates will be deep enough into their professional practice that they have substantive questions about business structure, sustainability, and balance between personal and professional development.

2 Our data show that a significant population of active artists in the YoungArts network reside in the New York City area. We are focusing on building a community that is engaged with questions around financial sustainability and that can collectively explore, workshop, and continue to support one another in questions around the business of being an artist.