Hygienic Art Kicks-Off Artist Academy with ‘Business Development: 10 Essential Skills to Thrive’

Artist Academy will open with: Business Development: 10 Essential Skills to Thrive, featuring nationally recognized artist/entrepreneur Jane Pollak.

Ms. Pollak is a living example of how to turn a passion into a thriving business. Jane’s story is an odyssey that led her from remote craft fairs and customer rejections to an invitation to the White House.  National publications featured Jane’s artwork as early as 1985, when her patchwork quilt eggs were showcased in Country Living Magazine.  Her unique experience as an accomplished entrepreneur and training as a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach resulted in a powerful, effective new business direction.  

Now a successful entrepreneur, public speaker, author and business coach, Jane launched her business career in the unlikely field of egg decoration!  She has recently shared her story on TEDxMillRiver, has been featured on NBC’s Today Show and has been invited to the White House. 

Artists unable to attend the workshop can learn from Jane’s experiences through her recently re-released book, Soul Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur.  The Small Business Administration named Jane the 2002 Home-Based Business Advocate for the entire New England region

Participating artists will learn from Jane about self-management, delegation, communication networking, business plan development, and the power of persistence. Ms. Pollak will use  personal experiences and expert knowledge of the art industry to help artists understand the business world and how to navigate it for career development. 

Business Development: 10 Essential Skills to Thrive will introduce and reinforce the tools required to develop the business of being an artist. Artists thinking of themselves as entrepreneurs or small business owners may seem a daunting and odd idea, but artists are unique in the business world as both the producers of their work and the small business entrepreneurs who are responsible for all aspects of their enterprise.

Artist Academy is bringing in workshop leaders, such as Jane Pollak, to share their knowledge and expertise with artists while developing a foundation for career development. These workshop leaders are artists or professionals very familiar with artists in order to make Artists Academy a relatable, knowledgeable and comfortable experience.

Funding for the program was made available by Citizens Bank and WTNH News 8 when they named Hygienic Art, Inc. as the second 2013 Champion in Action® in the category of arts and culture. Hygienic Art will receive funding, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its work in cultural development, economic development and serving artists in the region. Ned Handy, President of Citizens Bank stated, “This award will help the Hygienic to grow its after-school programs and stimulate small businesses in the region by educating artists in core aspects of small arts enterprises.”

All spaces are currently booked for the first three workshops. Artists can visit www.hygienic.org in the upcoming weeks to learn more about future workshops in 2014 and join the waiting list. Artists can also contact the project coordinator at: hygacademy@gmail.com.