Case study: Creative Business Champions program helps visual artist expand her small business

What

Kate Douglas is a visual artist based in Ipswich, painting highly detailed reproductions of how she sees the world.

After a successful debut solo exhibition at Ipswich Art Gallery in 2018 and some professional group shows, Kate was developing the concept of her second solo exhibition when she signed up for the Creative Business Champions (CBC) mentorship program.

At this point her arts business was breaking even but not profitable. Kate approached the CBC program with a goal to source funding to support her next body of work, and to gain more confidence in grant applications, writing about her work and overall business development.

Her CBC mentors showed her the steps to take and helped with her career progression.

Where

Ipswich

Investment

The Creative Business Champions program, an initiative of the Regional Arts Service Network (RASN), was a free online professional guidance service. It connected Queensland artists and arts workers with personalised professional guidance from recognised industry leaders, helping to create meaningful professional development opportunities with strategies to grow business and establish sustainable careers in the arts.

The program provided advice and mentoring to over 800 Queensland artists and arts workers in 2021 and was funded as part of a $2.2 million skills funding package from the Queensland Government to assist arts sector recovery.

While Creative Business Champions was primarily an online program, RASN provided some opportunities for face-to-face meetings in regional Queensland including Cooktown, Cairns, Toowoomba, Cherbourg, Ipswich, Logan, Woorabinda, and the Sunshine Coast.

The first iteration of RASN (from 2018 – 2020) was backed by an initial $6.5 million Queensland Government investment, with additional investment of $7.8 million over 4 years from 2021-22 to 2024 – 25.

Image 1 - Kate Douglas - Lost at the Asylum, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 61 x 51 cm. Image courtesy Kate Douglas

Outcomes

Following her CBC mentorship Kate:

• secured a $10,000 RADF grant
• was offered and booked a solo exhibition at a regional gallery (Ipswich Art Gallery), to be presented in 2023, and
• created and implemented a marketing plan instantly resulting in higher priced sales.

Learnings and reflections

Creative Business Champion Ant McKenna gave me very constructive feedback on my grant application drafts, helped me with the budget, and encouraged me to improve my website and bio. He advised me to write to regional galleries to get some indications of interest and support letters for my grant application. This exercise resulted in an offer of a solo exhibition before I had produced any paintings, based on the quality of my previous work. With a 2023 exhibition confirmed and booked in, I had a strong, confident grant application and received the full amount I was hoping for.

Creative Business Champion Elliott Bledsoe helped me identify my key markets, equipping me with a solid plan to improve my business. I again refined my website and online selling platforms, and clearly articulated points of difference in my art. Within a few days of implementing my marketing plan I achieved sales of artwork which I had previously listed for years to no avail.

The mentorship program enabled me to analyse and identify areas of my business which needed improvement and gave me the confidence, skills, and direction to improve them. 

My mentors broke down seemingly insurmountable tasks into clear, achievable steps allowing me to attain my goals. Receiving free, expert advice while working at home online was invaluable, as I did not have the time or money to travel repeatedly into Brisbane for meetings. 

The CBC program and results absolutely exceeded my expectations and I am very grateful to be a part of it.

Image 2 - Kate Douglas - The Day After, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 96 x 96 cm. Image courtesy: Kate Douglas

Tips for others

Although I knew what goal I hoped to achieve through the CBC mentorship program, many other improvements to my business were also suggested. Being open minded to new ideas allowed my art to reach wider audiences, my income to increase substantially, with further flow-on effects.

Time management is crucial. Asking for advice on time management, especially in marketing, was very helpful for me.

What next?

Find out more at Kate Douglas website