Ctrllab Montreal Art House: This April 24 & 25 at Ctrllab Montreal Art House, 3634 St. Laurent, Montreal, will be hosting three lectures Jump Start your Art Career, given by Christa Fairchild, targeted on how to get what you want out of your career as an artist. These lectures will offer specific business tips, insights, and techniques you can begin to use right away

Whether you are an emerging artist looking to start off in the right direction, returning to the art world, or looking for a refresher to stimulate your existing art practise, you will want to attend this specially crafted event. This series will “jump start you career” and give practical strategies to get from where you are now to your true potential – not to be missed!

The lectures will be offered in English and is open to artists at all levels.

Date & times:

Saturday, April 24, 2010: 10am – 12pm & 1:00 – 3:00pm

Sunday, April 25, 2010: 1:00 – 3:00pm

Costs: $30 per class or $55 package for two or $80 for all three (includes class notes). Seating is limited on first come frist serve basis. Pleasearrive early for registration.

For additional information please contact ctrllab@gmail.com or call (514) 249-7041.

Saturday, April 24, 2010: 10am – 12pm

Make Networking Work for You: Making new contacts and making a good impression does not come naturally to everyone. The lecture will give participants a chance to learn how to break the ice and create real relationships. We will address all aspects of networking: from planning, finding the right venue for you, what to do while at an event, and follow up.

Saturday, April 24, 2010: 1:00 – 3:00pm

Essential Marketing Skills for Today’s Marketplace: This presentation covers the essential marketing skills and tools needed to make your art business grow. The course covers, understanding your market, pricing strategies that work, choosing the right venues for exhibiting, marketing skills, and making the most of public relations.

Sunday, April 25, 2010: 1:00 – 3:00pm

Forms, Contracts and Managing your Exhibitions: To have a successful art exhibition takes a balance of good time management and procedures. This is a practical course on event planning and understanding of contractual agreements and forms.

About the speaker

Montreal-born artist Christa Fairchild is one of the few artists with a Master's degree in business (MBA). She has spent the last 15 years honing her skills in design, marketing, and communications. She is not only a business woman she is also an accomplished fine art photographer. “Without a doubt, having sound knowledge of business and marketing has helped create opportunities for me,” says Fairchild.

She has realized that it takes more than creative talent to have a successful career as an artist. It takes business skills and an entrepreneurial spirit. But most students of the Arts graduate with little or no business training offered as part of their curriculum. Often business courses and workshops available are not tailored to the needs of artists. The Arts market is increasingly competitive while the Canadian government is cutting its funding. "As artists,” says Fairchild, “even when we are not formally trained in business, we have an incredible capacity for creativity — an essential ingredient in being an art entrepreneur."

With this in mind, Fairchild decided to take matters into her own hands and offer her own business courses. For the last two years she has been lecturing in Montreal and Toronto, providing essential tips, insights, tools and techniques that artists, from all domains, can begin to use right away, with confidence, to make an immediate impact on their career.

“My courses are motivational, peppered with lots of real-life examples artists can relate to. Marketing yourself, not just what you do, is so critical to the self-employed. Generally it’s the part of business most love to hate.”

The goal of these workshops is to share anecdotes and insights into the business world and how they relate to the “entreprenartist” in all artists who seek prosperity. Fairchild uses the term entreprenartist as a way to illustrate that we are all in the business of art. As business woman and artist, as dynamic and outspoken public speaker, her work inspires others to create their own successes.

“Michael and I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed your seminar. It was a real wake up call for me as I realize how much power I have been giving away by relying on others to represent my talents. I am determined to start putting to use as much as I can of what I learned last night.”

“Christa is an exceptional speaker”

“Very well prepared”

“Christa’s suggestions were simple, but had never occurred to me before.”

“Professional presentation, useful information”

“Very interesting: I feel this workshop gave me so many tools”