Build Your Professional Arts Practice

Are you eager to move from being an arts enthusiast to becoming a practising, exhibiting and sustainable artist, but overwhelmed by the challenges? Learn what it takes to become a professional artist and be introduced to the challenges and exciting opportunities of the art world. Gain an overview of how to research, plan and understand the personal investment in time, money, planning, energy and creativity it requires to survive in the arts. Paul McDonald discusses what’s expected of you as you step up into the professional art world with confidence in personal objectives in your field of art, knowing your audience, consolidating your practice and being exhibition ready by building and sustaining practical, realistic and structured timelines to bring this to fruition.

He introduces project management techniques to help structure your workload, manage your time efficiently, budgets, allocating resources, and taking full responsibility for the success of your art projects; including effective social media strategies and promotional strategies to build your audience engagement and reach.

Paul also discusses the different models of art galleries, public art, applying for grants, relationships with curators and gallerists, pitching ideas and learning who you need to be in front of to present your ideas effectively and clearly. The key to this is a strong, meaningful and confident artist’s statement and biography for your media release and exhibition catalogue. He shows different modes of professional presentation and ways of showing your work, ranging from the traditional ‘white cube’ gallery to alternative exhibition spaces, public venues and self-publishing options.

The course is suitable for participants with experience in any medium of art making and creativity, who want to learn how to take their work up to the next level of professional practice.

*Short courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. For students under 16 years of age there are School Holiday Workshops, Art Club and other youth art programs.

Paul McDonald is a socially engaged educator, artist and curator whose practice explores social issues, masculinity and mental health.

His most recent exhibition and publication “Study of Self” was presented at Photo 2022 in Melbourne. Paul is represented by ‘The Little Black Gallery’, London, and his photographs have been published and exhibited in over 25 countries.

He completed his Master of Arts in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography in 2016, with Distinction, at University of the Arts London, and he worked at the Australian Centre for Photography. In 2014 he founded Contact Sheet and in 2022 started the Working Dog Gallery, curating over 40 exhibitions, with over 350 artists, public and community programs.

Paul works with international companies on their public art strategies and projects. He is a member of the Cultural and Creative Arts Advisory Committee of Willoughby City Council.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

Notebook and Pen OR Laptop