Paul Brent and Lana Jane Lewis-Brent: Partners in Art Licensing
When Paul and Lana Jane met they had no idea that one day they would be partners in an art licensing business. Paul was a talented artist and Lana Jane was already the Senior Vice-President of her family’s supermarket and convenience store business. Paul worked for architecture firms and later started his own home design business. Lana Jane became President and CEO of her retail food industry business listed on the American Stock Exchange when her father passed away.
Paul began showing and selling his original paintings and then began publishing prints of his work. Lana Jane gave him advice on business decisions such as how to hire employees, and how to set up a small business. Paul’s business in print publishing took off and he began licensing his work in 1988.
Lana Jane was recognized as one of the top women in business by Working Woman Magazine and joined the Committee of 200, an organization made up of the top women executives in America. Paul began licensing his work to home décor manufacturers including Springs and Seabrook Wallcovering. Along the way the two collaborated with Paul designing annual reports for Lana Jane, and designing exteriors, interiors and signage for her stores. During this time they also had two sons that they equally helped raise.
When Lana Jane had the opportunity to sell her stores (350) in 1992, it was a natural for her to join Paul in the publishing and art licensing business. He wisely suggested that she become President of the firm and he then became Vice President.
While working together on many business issues they separated tasks according to each partner’s ability. Paul created the art work and was the idea creator for collections and new directions. Lana Jane took responsibility for financial matters, as well as directing all business concerns in their gallery, publishing and art licensing business. Lana Jane handles all business matters and legal issues. When the print publishing business began to change, that part of the business was licensed to a print and poster publisher, Gango Editions, and the two focused on their gallery and art licensing business. Prints were now just another license to create art for, along with canvas reproductions and other forms of wall décor.
Their business has been rated one of the top 100 licenses by License Magazine and they have agreements with over 90 manufacturers who produce products in home décor, stationery, apparel and gift categories. Paul specializes in coastal subjects and paints in watercolor, oil, and pen and ink. The Brents’ business, Paul Brent Designer, Inc., has sold over one million prints and Paul has created over 100 coordinated wallpaper designs.
Today Paul and Lana Jane continue to run their business together and have a gathered a lot of insight into what makes a good marital and business relationship. Additionally they have known couples who share business responsibilities and have talked with them and shared common issues like: when does the business end and the marriage begin, who is responsible for what in the business and marriage, how do you negotiate when you have differing opinions?
While many artists in art licensing share duties in their business with a spouse, many of these issues are the same with business partners that are not married. These and other topics will be discussed in the upcoming tele-seminar hosted by Tara Reed on Wednesday Nov.16th at 5:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Central / 8:30 pm Eastern.
Go to www.AskPaulBrent.com and submit your questions for the Brents today!
Guest Post: 33 Unique Career Paths You Can Take With a Master of Arts Degree
Carolyn Perry, a writer for the brand new www.MasterOfArts.org, contacted me recently about a blog post she had written. Here she gives 33 Unique Career Paths you can Take with a Master of Arts Degree. Thankfully you don’t have to have a Master of Arts to license your art – and I’m not 100% positive you have to for all of these ideas either, but it’s a great thought provoking list. As I constantly say – there are many ways to make money with art – the key is to finding the best fit for you. Here are more ideas…
If you’re tired of your parents griping about your future as a fine artist, try adding one more year in an MA program and possibly some other resources to enhance your financial possibilities. Take business classes or law, or learn about the physics behind fireworks. Why? Because your MA can lead you into careers that go beyond the usual art directorship or museum curator position. The following 33 unique career paths you can take with an MA degree might provide you with some more ideas.
As an Employee
- Art Law: Use those MA classes to learn more about art law. You also may need a JD contract law. ARS (Artists Rights Society) has resources, and The Art Law Blog can provide information, too.
- Art Librarian: If you prefer to work more with books and artifacts than with people, you might learn more about this field through an internship with ARLIS (Art Libraries Society of North America).
- Arts Organization Consultant: These businesses, which connect organizations to their communities, are growing. One example includes Future/City (located in the UK).
- Art Program Development: Many organizations crave to have people on board who can create programs for public consumption. Take a look at some of the programs at the New York Foundation for the Arts to get some ideas.
- Book Trade: Art history background is good for this position, but a number of possibilities loom. The International League of Antiquarian Bookselling (ILAB) can explain. Or, you might check out The Center for Book Arts or Old Book Art or A fair display of books as art might provide more ideas.
- Corporate Curator: Why devote yourself to museums when corporations might contain more treasures? Employment with an agency such as Nixon Art Associates, Inc. can provide you with great experience at this level.
- Digital Art Historian: You can position yourself as an art historian for any art museum or gallery or even for a history department. Read more about how the art world has fallen behind in this endeavor while history departments move forward.
- Fireworks Display Planner: Working at a place such as Stonebraker Fireworks can unleash your creativity in what could be considered temporary installation art.
- Historic Preservation: If you lean more toward a love for architecture, this job might work for you. Go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to learn more. One job that might be obtainable in your town is that of a Main Street manager or executive director.
- Law Enforcement: Although there are only 12 seats on the FBI art theft enforcement team, you might prove that you deserve one of those seats…or start your own art detective agency. Become an ARCA (Association for Research into Crimes against Art) member to learn more about this field.
- Preservation and Conservation: If you want to take care of art in a museum or a collection, you might learn more about what that work entails. You also can join AIC (American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) and utilize their CoOL resources.
- Urban Planning: If you have a background in visual communications and wayfinding, use that MA experience to learn about urban planning methods and practice.
Freelance Careers
- Body Model: You already know how modeling works, as you’ve probably drawn from these individuals in class. Turn the tables and use your entire body (or body parts, such as hands) to make money to support your art career.
- Card and Postcard Creative: Develop an online presence with your clever cards and postcards, like Virginia Spiegel does online and in print.
- Event Planner: If you’ve handled art shows before, those events prove to be an entry into this booming career choice. You also can move into a consultation position depending upon your successes.
- Freelance Arts Collections Manager: Bring a history of experience in arts collection with you for this freelance venture. Learn more about how Freda Matassa handles this career.
- Freelance Arts Instructor: While this career may not seem unique, the places where you can establish a class can be unusual — a prisoner art program in a jail, perhaps, or an art class for a local crafts shop or toy store.
- Freelance Talent Agent: Use event-planning skills, art representative savvy and your knowledge of local music or entertainment talent to build a talent agency. Jerry Weintraub might become a role model.
- Freelance Writer: Spend time in that MA program learning honing your writing skills. It can pay off — and you don’t necessarily need to write about art. Learn more about this gig at Freelance Writing Jobs or the Association of Art Editors.
- Independent Photojournalist: Life is art, right? On the journalistic side, take a look at the guidelines published by the National Press Photographers Association to learn more about how to run this business.
- Independent Filmmaker: Film noir or documentary? If you lean towards the moving image, you can learn more about support for this career possibility at Independent Filmmakers Project (IFP) or the Independent Filmmakers Alliance (IFA).
- Self-Publishing Art: If you want to save your original pieces for a more favorable economic climate, you might think about self-publishing your prints. Try the giclee print route to see how that works for you.
- Self-Publishing Books: If you automatically thought about coffee table books, you might want to steel yourself for the expense through this article. However, you have more than one way to publish, so learn more about Kindle publishing, too.
Bricks and Mortar Enterprises
- Art Camp: Find a flailing kids’ camp or retreat and turn it into a camp for the arts. If you need ideas for this venture, try using Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp or Long Lake Arts Camp as examples.
- Art Pawnshop: In this current economic climate, pawnshops are proliferating. Why not ride the tide by opening an art pawnshop? It’s not like you’re reinventing the wheel, as Art Capital Group has paved the road.
- Art Quilt Shop: If you love textiles and art, then art quilts might appeal to you. Learn how to sew and hold classes and sell quilts at the shop and in shows.
- Art Representative: You can begin to represent other artists’ works as well as your own. Your own background and connections give you an open door to make good money in this field. Read more from How to Be an Art Dealer & Open an Art Gallery.
- Bead and Jewelry Shop: If you’re into shiny objects, this idea may appeal to you. Like The Bead Shop in New Orleans, classes, events, parties and special focuses can be your lifeblood.
- Blacksmith’s Shop: If you’re into metal work, you might try your hand at blacksmithing. Sell your work at the shop, online or at shows.
- Coffee Shop Owner: You may have lived on coffee during college…why not continue the tradition? Start a coffee shop, but modify it so that you can utilize the arts as well, like Java & Clay Cafe.
- Junk Store: A combination of camp, antique, pop and found art, a store filled with consignments and finds like those found in Junk Pirate could be fun.
- Metalsmith: Take a cue from the Metal Museum in Memphis, and create a studio where you can teach interns, produce metalwork and repair metal furniture and art.
- Rogue Art Dealer: You can ignore the previous advice and open a gallery in your apartment (make sure you’re zoned for business). Some of these underground galleries have been very successful.
Thanks Carolyn, for letting me share this information. Check out www.MasterOfArts.org for more information about Master of Arts programs and more great posts coming!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
How To Take Your Art Career To The Next Level
Being an artist is a tricky career, and one that is constantly fluctuating. So how in the world do you not only make a sustainable living at it, but actually thrive?
Ariane of smARTist says it’s all about diversification. (Sounds like “vacation,” lol!)
So, I’ve invited Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D., art career coach and host of the only professional development conference for visual fine artists online or off, to come talk with me about how selling your art is joined at the hip to multiple streams of income.
Join me on November 10 at 4 pm Pacific / 6 pm Central / 7 pm Eastern for this open telecall.
What is frustrating you the most, right now, about your art career?
Let us know – enter it below. Otherwise, just put “no question” in the space, enter your name and email and you’ll get the dial-in details. Hope you can make it – this is an amazing opportunity for artists and I’m thrilled to be a part of it this year!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. To get signed up today to learn about Ariane’s Early Bird Discount, CLICK HERE*
What do you want to know about the smARTist Telesummit? We’ll talk about it November 10, 2010
I’m excited to announce that Ariane Goodwin, the creative mind behind the smARTist Telesummit, has agreed to do a call with me to answer questions artists might have about the telesummit, before you make any kind of commitment. On November 10, 2010, we will be talking about the telesummit and answering questions submitted by artists like you. It will be a one-hour call like the Ask Calls, but the timing is slightly different – 4 pm Pacific / 6 pm Central / 7 pm Eastern. 7 days of Art Career Experts sharing their wisdom on all things art business related!
smARTist Telesummit 2011
Bridging the Gap Between Making Art and Making a Living
Structure + Sustainability = Success
January 13/14 & 17-21
So I ask you… what do you want to know about the smARTist Telesummit?
If you want to get on the “Interest List” right away so you are sure to learn about the early-bird registration, CLICK HERE*
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
* FTC disclosure: I will earn a commission if you click this link, get on the list, and ultimately join us at the telesummit. This is how I am compensated for my contribution so thank you for your clicks!
Beyond Silence – there are life and business lessons everywhere
Last week when I did the blog post about how the show “America – The Story of Us” related to business, I had some conversations on Twitter about it. I made a comment that I see analogies everywhere and that “I should have people name a show or movie and I could find a link and lesson to business.”
@adreanaline challenged me: she said, “OK, Beyond Silence, I’d like to see what you come up with.”
Here is a summary of the movie – I won’t give away the ending -
Beyond Silence is a film in German about a hearing girl who grows up with two deaf parents. They don’t support her going to school because they need her as translator. She is about 8 when the movie begins and has many responsibilities in her family. Her aunt gives her a clarinet for Christmas which she falls in love with and which causes problems at home. They don’t want her playing the clarinet or getting close to the aunt – the father especially wants her to stay as the caretaker of the family.
As she grows up she is torn between her role at home and wanting to make her own life. It’s teenage independence times 10 because her parents depend on her so much.
And unexpected A-Ha:
If you are deaf, there is no multi-tasking during movies! I so take for granted that I can watch, listen and sketch or paint my nails or whatever during a movie or tv show. Since this movie was in German, I had to read the subtitles to know what was going on. Complete focus required – it gave me a peek inside life without sound and the many little things that would change.
The analogy I got from the movie:
This movie was a young girl’s struggle for independence and to balance her duty to family and to herself.
How many people go into a field of study in college or profession because it is what their parents or family expected? “We become lawyers in this family” or “We go into politics” or “We are in the family business.” But what if that isn’t your passion? How do you go for what you want when your peer group is steering you in another direction?
This can apply to art as well. If you think about it, I bet you can come up with many well-meaning statements from friends and family about what you ‘should be doing’. Maybe you’ve heard that you should get a steady job with benefits and do your art as a hobby. Or you should get an agent because you won’t make it on your own. Or my favorite, “everyone knows real artists can’t make a living.”
When people are putting fear into your head or not respecting your dream and vision for your life and business, turn a deaf ear.
Tune them out, pretend you can’t hear it and you can’t even understand the sub-titles! This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen and learn how to move forward towards your dreams, but you shouldn’t let the fears and expectations of others make you so fearful that you give up on yourself.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. I learned something interesting about Blockbuster when looking for a copy of the movie. If they don’t have the movie in a store but have it in their warehouse, you pay the normal $5 and they mail it to you. If you return it to a store, it acts as a coupon and you can get a new release for $1.99! Coolio!
FAQ: How Much Can an Artist Make Licensing Their Art?
or…
“Show me the money!”
Of course it is a good idea to decide if working towards licensing your art will give you the income results you are looking for, right? Unfortunately, I don’t have a definitive way to answer this question.
Every business will have different results so I can safely say between $0 and millions.
Of course I’m often asked for a better, more “standard” range than that. Well… I don’t know.
While people looking for a traditional job can go online and see statistics about average salaries, most artists who license their work are in business for themselves, so these statistics don’t exist. Add to that the fact that two artists could bring in identical royalties and have very different expenses based on how they run their businesses, that what they actually “make” would be quite different.
According to License! Global Magazine, the art licensing industry as a whole (art, tv, movie, entertainment, sports…) accounts for $187.2 billion worldwide. (April 2010 source: http://digital.licensemag.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/license0410/#/40)
The fact of the matter is, how well you can do depends on how well your art fits the market, how well you market your art and how patient and consistent you are. One thing we can agree on, this isn’t ‘quick & easy’ money.
But there is money to be made, I just can’t tell you how much your share will be.
– Tara Reed
P.S. To learn more about the business side of art licensing, I recommend you take a look at the eBook, “How to Find, Interact and Work with Manufacturers Who License Art.”
Another Great Blog Resource for Artists: ArtsyShark.com
It seems like everyday I am amazed a newe resources, blog, information or inspiration that I find online for artists.
A few weeks ago I discovered (and was discovered by) ArtsyShark.com.
I had the pleasure of talking with Carolyn Edlund, the owner and author of this blog for emerging artists. Here is her story, as she tells it, taken from the “About” page of her blog:
Although I am not currently a working artist, I spent twenty years running a production studio making ceramic jewelry and one-of-a-kind ceramic and mixed-media pieces.
Upon graduating from college with a degree in Fine Art, I had no preparation for embarking on a career other than some art skills, a lot of motivation and passion for what I was doing. It took a lot of mistakes to learn what worked – why people buy art, tricks of the trade, dealing with wholesale and retail buyers and having a profitable career that balanced with life.
After closing my business, I went on the road representing art publishing companies and card and paper lines featuring artist’s work. This experience gave me another perspective on the business of art and the realities of the marketplace.
Often I meet aspiring and emerging artists who are hungry for knowledge, opportunities and a chance to make their true passion into a career that really works.
Hopefully this blog will be helpful – it is designed to contain interviews with companies that buy from artists, educators who counsel art students, and successful artists themselves who share their best advice and encouragement to the next generation. I hope you will enjoy Artsy Shark. Subscribe, pass it on, participate and submit your ideas for discussions you would like to share.
Carolyn was interested to learn more about art licensing and shared the information with her readers in a post:
Is Art Licensing Right for You?/Interview with Tara Reed
As well as “how-to” interviews about different aspects and types of art businesses, Artsy Shark also interviews artists, features galleries and more. It’s worth taking a look and see if it is another blog to follow to keep your creative juices flowing!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
Zero Calorie Pie for Artists that will Put Money in your Bank Account!
Phew! The holidays are over, a new year has begun… how many people ate just a little too much pie? With all the talk and tweets about pumpkin pie over the past few months, I thought I’d remind you about my “Art Pie” analogy – it won’t make you fat but just might make you money!
In the three video series (I call it the “Art As Pie Trilogy”) you might begin to look at your art business a little differently.
In these short video clips on the Art Licensing Info YouTube channel (you know we have one, right?) you can listen to my thoughts about how…
Your Art is like a Pie… Your Art Business is Lke a Pie… and Art Licensing is Like a Pie…
Food for thought that doesn’t leave a trace on your hips! What better way to start the New Year?
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
How Licensing Your Art is Like Pie…
This is the third and final installment of the “Art as Pie” triology: How Art Licensing is Like Pie. We talked about your business. We talked about your art. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how art licensing is like slicing a pie for maximum return…
The trilogy consists of:
- How your art business is like a pie… CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED IT
- How your art is like a pie… CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED IT
- How art licensing is like a pie… (above – hopefully you just watched it)
So that’s it! My pie analogy has come to an end. Any way you slice it, having a business you love is worth all the love, sweat and effort you bake into it.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
P.S. To learn more ‘recipes for success’ in licensing your art, take a look at the eBooks and teleseminars available from www.ArtLicensingInfo.com.
How your art business is like a pie…
I have used this “pie” analogy on several occasions and people seem to like it. Either we are a pie-eating nation or it helps people get to their ‘a-ha’ moment. So one day I decided to actually make pie out of my art (which was conveniently on fabric) and create a video to really make it hit home.
This is the first in a triology of “Art as Pie” videos by yours truly, Tara Reed. I have a sewing machine, glue gun and FlipVideo and I’m not afraid to use them! (I will warn you though – glue guns do create HOT glue so try not to get big globs on your fingers… ouch!)
The trilogy consists of:
- How your art business is like a pie… (below)
- How your art is like a pie… (coming soon)
- How art licensing is like a pie… (coming just the other side of soon)
Sit back, watch and consider. My goal is to keep you thinking about what you are doing with your art and business so you don’t turn into artistic hamsters on the wheel of life!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
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