Rhode Island: Assets for Artists Workshops for Rural Artists

With financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) was able to enroll all 10 core participants of its 2015-16 Assets for Artists program from rural communities in Rhode Island. Halfway through the two-year program, the core artists have completed five training sessions, including a personal finance boot camp, and have participated in other workshops open to the broader arts community dealing with legal issues, marketing and business planning. Core artists are now developing business plans and preparing to match the $1,000-$2,000 capital grant they each will receive. RISCA began offering Assets for Artists, which was created by MASS MoCA, in 2012 when it merged aspects of its Professional Artists Development program with it. To help artists flourish as arts entrepreneurs, RISCA leverages the technical support of MASS MoCA’s program staff as well as the expertise of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston; the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design; ArtHome, a nonprofit helping artists build assets and equity; and Coastal Enterprises, Inc., a cultural development corporation and community development financial institution. For more information about the impact of RISCA’s partnership with Assets for Artists or about the upcoming 2017-2018 session, contact RISCA’s Director of Individual Artists Programs Cristina DiChiera.