I love New Year’s Resolutions – they focus the mind and hopefully create a plan to make the next year better. In the spirit of the New Year, some questons about the past year and are you able to measure what worked and what didn’t? To help you personalize your goals for the year ahead…

,The Crested Butte Arts Festival (CBAF) has long been known as the signature culture event of the summer in the charming town of Crested Butte, CO. Embarking on its 50th year in the arts festival industry, the non-profit has positioned itself as a mainstay for artists and art enthusiasts to mingle amongst the backdrop of…

My one talent as an artist is, I have a great eye for color. I have always loved the subtle differences and frankly see most of the shades (even white which makes painting a room very challenging). The process of the choosing the Color of the Year has always fascinated me and I have written…

Looking back on the past year, our world has simultaneously atrophied and flourished. The artist community has faced the challenges of the past 16+ months and is documenting this moment in history with creativity and expression never seen before. Creating art is a key component to mental health but the act of making art can…

With fingers crossed, art festivals around the country will be in person this year. It is now time to think of not only protecting yourself from the virus but protecting you business. By carrying the right type of business insurance coverage, you can protect your supplies, projects, staff, clients – and your personal assets –…

After much confusion, it’s now clear that self-employed individuals who have no employees, and therefore no actual payroll expenses, can qualify for full PPP loan forgiveness by simply paying themselves – now called Owner Compensation Replacement. The amount that can be forgiven is based on your 2019 net self-employment income and can be up to…

With our world being turned upside down by COVID-19, virtual art festivals are trying to help fill the gap between now and when we can meet in person. I understand that the artist experience at these events varies widely. While they can never take the place of an in-person festival, the fact is to have…

Hashtags are a great way to make your art easily accessible on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Hashtags are simple words and terms with no spaces that begin with the # sign. These hashtags work like web search terms. When users are looking for content on a certain topic (like finding local…

Now that art has moved from physical spaces to the virtual world, knowing how to focus your attention can ensure a sustained and successful art career. Here are a few ideas to help you concentrate on maintaining long term success despite the pandemic: Build a Strong Community: Social media by nature is built on advertising,…

Advice: It will be much easier to prove that you paid yourself owner compensation replacement if you maintain a separate business checking account to gather your business income and disburse it to your personal checking account. If you only have one account that’s used for both business and personal transactions, things are not so clear.…

Shift your perspective and embrace the fact that you have the ingenuity and creativity to connect with your patrons and fellow artists in a new way. Now is the time to tailor your online presence and be SMART about marketing your art. Now that you have been forced into creating new ways to reach your…

The shifting terms and guidance around the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program loan forgivness is confusing and frankly frustrating. If you were lucky enough to get a load, now comes the next hurtle, making sure that you are eligible for loan forgiveness. For ordinary businesses, the load is forgiven if at least 75% of…

The COVID 19 economy is devasting for our community. I have compiled a list of over 70 grants, emergency funds and resource lists for you to consider. This list is not definitive and does not include unemployment or the CARES act. COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESOURCES Updated on April 6, 2020 ,4 Culture Cultural Relief Fund (King…

As an artist there are many deductions you can take to reduce your taxable income for the year. A self-employed artist may deduct any expense that is directly related to the art activity. Common itemized deductions by artists include the following. ADVERTISING: Virtually everything you spend money on to promote yourself as an artist is…

March is Women’s History Month and I thought we should celebrate the genius of women artists. Historically overlooked female artists are currently a hot topic in museums, galleries and the art market. Many are just gaining recognition now. Building a more inclusive art world begins with recognizing female artists who are captivating the art world…

What’s In and What’s Out 2020 To create this list Art-Linx has researched the trends discussed in home design, fashion and art. Wishing everyone a year filled with creativity and inspiration.