Idaho: My Artrepreneur Program

The most recent data indicates that the economic value (in inflation-adjusted dollars) added by arts and culture industries has more than doubled over the past 25 years. Moreover, over the past five years, all states experienced increases in the value added from the creative economy. Supporting artists and creatives, who form the bedrock of a strong creative economy, is paramount as the arts and culture industries continue to grow. Artists are 3.6 times more likely as other workers to be self-employed, and require supports attuned to the needs of sole proprietors.

Photo by Ilona McCarty, courtesy of Idaho Commission on the Arts

To assist artists as entrepreneurs and innovators, the Idaho Commission on the Arts offers the My Artrepreneur Program, an intensive professional development program teaching business skills for artists. The program is anchored in one community each year, rotating around the state to facilitate broad geographic access. The 2025 program is conducted in partnership with the Pend Oreille Arts Council. Artists attend four mandatory workshops and pair with a mentor artist to develop their art as they build a kit of 35 essential tools for a successful and sustainable art-centered business. These workshops, which contain over 40 hours of instruction and workshop activities, run July through November. Ultimately, the goal is for artists to develop specific strategies to encourage artistic growth and demystify business practices.

The program uses the same curriculum as the Montana Arts Council‘s Montana Artrepreneur Program, which was developed by Dr. Edrienne Kittredge. An evaluation of MAP found that, based on subjective and objective measures, participating artists reported significantly improved outcomes for their arts business. For instance, 79% of artists who participated in the program felt more confident in their business management skills and 65% felt more satisfied with their arts business. Participating artists also generated $470,837 in net art sales, a 397% increase in net art sales on average since participating in the program, and generated upwards of $2.02 million in gross art sales, a 123% increase since participating in the program.

For more information on the ways state arts agencies provide professional development services for artists and support the creative economy, contact NASAA.