Mentor to Market: Artist Education Program, Fund Information
2018 Preparing for your first Market program | Photo by: Gabriella Marks
Make a gift to the Mentor to Market Fund and join our global community of artist entrepreneurs! With your donation, Mentor to Market Artist Education Program will continue to prepare Market artists to succeed not only at our flagship program, IFAM Santa Fe, but well beyond.
We thank you in advance for your empowering support, which helps us deliver this program at no charge to our family of artists!
Over the last 16 years more than 1,000 Market artists who have participated in IFAM programs have spoken: they want to learn more about bringing their artistic and cultural assets into the global marketplace, and about how to succeed as artist entrepreneurs.
For these reasons, IFAM continues to tailor its Mentor to Market Artist Education Program by offering three main tracks through peer-to-peer mentoring:
- Preparing for your first Market program: this introductory program is designed for artists participating for the first time in the annual IFAM Santa Fe and offers guidance in areas such as: Costing & Pricing for Wholesale & Export, Sales Tips: Practice Selling, and Telling your Story.
- IFAM Artist Conference: This full day of workshops is offered to all artists attending IFAM Santa Fe, and is designed to help folk art entrepreneurs navigate key issues in expanding into new markets and developing a sustainable business. It also includes an Artist Resource Fair, which connects folk artist entrepreneurs with people, processes, and organizations that can help the artists improve life in their communities back home. Over the last two years, Eye Associate of New Mexico has partnered with IFAM to conduct pro bono eye exams and provide reading glasses to Market artists in the Artist Resource Fair.
- Preparing for the Export Marketplace: this program is designed for artists who have the volume and capacity to navigate the export business in the global artisan sector.
At Mentor to Market, artists participate in relevant peer-to-peer mentoring workshops that will equip them to excel in the global marketplace and to create economic opportunities for folk artists across the globe, through enterprise knowledge sharing, cultural exchange, business skill building, and professional development.
These one-of-a-kind workshops are led by peers–volunteer artists and industry experts–who are leaders in global artisan sector topics, including:
- Branding for the Handmade World
- Identifying other Markets for Folk Art
- How to Help your Community
- Developing a Marketing Plan to Increase your Sales
- Financial Planning to Expand into New Markets
- Managing U.S. Customs & Regulations
- Innovation within Traditional Folk Art
Gifts of all sizes make a world of difference!
With your help, the IFAM will create life-changing opportunities for artists and positive social change through folk art.
We thank you on behalf of the artists that will benefit from your generosity!