
I provide Artist Career Consultations exclusively through Springboard for the Arts. In a consultation, I get to know you and your work, help you set goals, and develop realistic strategies to help you reach those goals.
As a multidisciplinary artist, I help artists through a person-centered approach. I collaborate with artists to assist with a variety of goals from career planning, grantwriting, portfolio development, time management, and building a marketing/promotional plan. My background in community arts, arts administration, and curatorial work, can lend well to supporting someone looking to transition, expand their career, or get advice with project management. I am a teaching artist and community organizer that has developed many collaborative art projects engaging or partnering with multiple communities. I also work as a curator, having led various exhibition projects and founding multiple film screening programs. In addition, I have skills at supporting artists with disabilities form and sustain artistic career goals. I can help someone learn about arts access resources, manage self-employment income while receiving benefits, and locate community programs that can support their goals. Lastly, I am experienced in building a diverse set of income strategies to support a career as an artist.
What is a consultation?
Consultations are one-hour meetings to seek advice, guidance, input and direction on your career and work as an artist.
What can you expect from a consultation?
People schedule consultations for all sorts of reasons. Some prefer a big picture look at their work and career, and want to talk through long-term plans. Some wish to run a new idea for a project or business past someone and receive some constructive feedback. Others may be working on a specific grant or project and need assistance in writing portions of it. In other cases, artists may wish to figure out what their next steps might be, particularly if they’ve recently graduated, retired, changed careers or are beginning a new artistic discipline. If it’s goal-oriented and within the scope of a one hour meeting, we can do it. Things that we can do (and often do) include:
- Make a timeline of goals
- Write a resume or artist statement
- Identify specific grants or funding sources
- Identify specific community members or organizations for collaboration, professional development or assistance
- Work on a grant narrative
- Provide tutorials on using online platforms (grant portals, submission sites, mnartists.org, etc.)
- Discuss the pros and cons of forms of business organization
- Discuss Springboard programs or resources that may be useful
- Discuss any Work of Art workshops topics in more detail (record keeping, marketing, funding, etc.)
- Write brief copy for a website or social media
- Assemble a budget
- And more!
How much do consultations cost?
Springboard for the Arts offers free or low-cost artist career consultations to artists, artist entrepreneurs, and creative small business owners. MN-based artists can start with one free 1-hour consultation. Ongoing consultations are priced at suggested fees of between $0 to $75 an hour, with $45 as the average. This means we are asking you to make an honest evaluation of what payment is within your ability. The actual administrative cost of a consultation is higher than the rates on this scale, so we encourage you to pay at the highest level within your means, as it allows us to offer lower rates to those who need it. You pay directly for your consultation through Springboard for the Arts.
What happens after you request a consultation?
I will get a notice that you've requested me. I will email you shortly to set up a time to meet. Consultations are currently offered online via Zoom or over the phone. When available, I look forward to offering in person consultations! So please stay tuned!
When prompted in the form, make sure to select Jes Reyes as the "Name of Preferred Consultant."