Although it’s certainly a creative and fulfilling outlet, at the end of the day, art is how many artists make their living. Which means that money has to play a role. And it’s the same for art consultants! This is their business, and they have to make a profit in order to sustain themselves. At this point, you may be wondering how the business side of art consulting could possibly impact you. As long as they’re willing to pay your rates, it shouldn’t really matter about the rest of their business operations, right? While that’s true to an extent, the fact is that here—as with any profession—knowledge is power. The more you know about the business of art consulting, the more you can use that knowledge to grow your own business as an artist.

Madison is far from the capital of the art world. But right here in the capital of Wisconsin is the only company of its kind connecting artists to commissioners of art and to the fabricators and installers needed to bring their masterpieces to light. CODAworx has been around for only five years yet has gained recognition among artists all over the world and will likely expand to serve international clients next year, says founder and CEO Toni Sikes. CODA stands for Collaboration of Design + Art and CODAworx provides a website where artists can browse requests from architects, cities, companies and others looking to commission artwork. Artists, architects and installers can also showcase their past works and make connections to get their next commission. This synergy drives CODAworx’s success. “We made a statement from the beginning that in order to create these big projects it requires an ecosystem,” Sikes says.

Second of a 3-part series on the business of art consulting by Peter Hite. In the first article of this series, we covered the basics of art consultants: who they are, why they matter to you as an artist, and how you can find compatible consulting firms. Remember that a single well-matched art consulting relationship will be much more fruitful than a dozen poorly matched ones—so don’t be afraid to spend time researching before you take any next steps. Once you have put in the effort and identified several consultants who seem like a good fit, you, of course, have to actually reach out to them. The commissions won’t come to you unless the consultants respond to your emails or find you on CODAworx. And that’s what we’ll be exploring today: how art consultants prefer to be contacted and how to make a memorable first (or second…or third…) impression.

First of a 3-part series on the business of art consulting by Peter Hite. As a site-specific artist, private commissions are an important part of my work. They not only stretch me creatively, but they’re also oftentimes more lucrative and less competitive than public commissions—a combination that, as we all know, isn’t always easy to find.

CODAworx, the hub of the commissioned art economy, today announced the introduction of a standardized Commission Contract that clearly spells out the agreement between the entity commissioning a work of art and the artist or company hired to create the commission. The CODAworx Commission Contract, developed in digital form and available on the CODAworx website, provides a simple fill-in-the-blank format to detail the expectations and align the goals of both parties to the artwork commission.

In this webinar CODAworx RFP Specialist Stefanie O'Keefe discusses how to determine your art requirements, finding the right artist, managing RFPs for artwork, and using digital tools to streamline the commission workflow process in healthcare environments. This presentation is from The Center for Health Design Icons & Innovators webinar series.

Collaboration is the key to outstanding healthcare art programs that meet both individual facility goals and create integrated visual experiences. Enjoy this webinar by Barbara Harriman, IIDA, President and Creative Director of Distinctive Art Source for The Center for Health Design Icons & Innovators webinar series.

Public Art Case Study - Streamlining Florida Art Commission. A public art consultant commissions an outdoor sculpture for a courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida using the CODAworx RFP Toolkit.

Challenge In July 2014, the City of Greensboro, North Carolina and the Cemala Foundation, a local foundation committed to enhancing… Read More

Circa 1881 handles each exhibition process from start to finish—including the selection of works from its extensive inventory of private collections the company manages, coordinating and curating the exhibition, delivery, installation, insurance, permits, public relations, maintenance, security, and deinstallation—depending on the client's needs.