Review by Choice Review
Battenfield's guide is a timely resource, especially in the current economic climate, for visual artists seeking guidance on creating a career. The author, an artist and gallery manager who teaches at Columbia University, draws on concrete experience as she describes practical approaches to assist artists in achieving professional success. Peppered with black-and-white art reproductions and inspirational quotes, the book comprises ten chapters organized into four sections. The first section, "Taking Charge of Your Professional Life," discusses the importance of planning and creating an understanding of one's art through narrative. The section titled "Circulating Your Work" includes such relevant themes as networking and developing strong professional relationships. The third section, "Supporting Your Work," delves into the realities of diverse revenue streams, contracts, tax issues, and legal obligations. "Maintaining Your Practice," the final part, focuses on how to sustain a solitary career through good time management skills, daily effort, and attention to record keeping and sound archival practices. This unique book conveys useful information in a personal, inspiring manner that makes its sound advice enjoyable to read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. E. H. Teague University of Oregon
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
A readable, realistic, and practical field guide to professional success in the visual arts, Battenfield's book puts first things first: taking charge, which includes proactive responsibilities for planning accomplishments and assembling resources. She brings her background as an artist and gallery manager to the task, noting that self-employed careers in art need not assume poverty. Step-by-step advice focuses on personal vision, values, and goal setting. She emphasizes the usefulness of working in nonprofit environments as well as the necessity of peer networking and building long-term professional relationships with business clients at all levels from receptionist to director because the art world is an extremely fluid society. Along the way, she provides checklists on exhibition essentials and information on IRS reporting, grants, and legal contracts. On the more nuanced side, she addresses the isolation of solitary creation and need for community building via collectives, support groups, and, of course, the Internet. A wealth of reproduced art and profiles of artists complete this inspiring, useful, and, given the rise in do-it-yourself careers, timely resource.--Scott, Whitney Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
