The Individual Artist Award

 

Overview - The Individual Artist Award recognizes the business skills of a creative professional. Applicants will be judged on their commitment and growth within the entrepreneurial side of their arts-based careers. The intention of this award is to recognize the unique challenges of planning, marketing and sustaining arts-based enterprises. Three (3) finalists and one (1) top winner will be recognized.

Award - The top winner will receive $1,000, a choice of an avenue of free business support (website development, marketing, business advising, accounting, or additional option), a free year of COSE Arts Network membership, an article in the COSE Update and an original piece of commissioned artwork.

Application/Nomination Process - Applicants and nominees will be asked to fill out an online questionnaire for judging. The deadline for applications and nominations is Friday, March 4th 2011 at 5:00 PM.

Eligibility -  Any individual (independent freelance artist, sole proprietor, business of one, or single person LLC) who has applied business practices and planning to their artistic career. Applicants must be devoted to professionally creating and presenting their artistic work. This includes, but is not limited to making visual artwork, music, performing, writing, choreographing and creating digital media.

  • Applicants must be a legal resident of Northeast Ohio (Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain, Summit, Geauga, Ashtabula, Portage and Lake counties).
  • Winners of ABI Awards in the past three years are not eligible.

Criteria - Applicants must have made an effort to incorporate sound business practices into their profession, and can fulfill the following:

  • Artists are earning revenue from their creative enterprise. Revenue can be validated. (please note: other sources of income do not disqualify from the competition).
  • Applicants have at least started the process of business planning: examples include, but are not limited to setting career goals, creating a business plan, participating in strategy sessions with a mentor, taking business related courses
  • The artistic work is at the stage where the public or clients can view it, buy it, hire the artist, attend a program, etc.
  • Applicants can show some form of marketing material such as business cards, brochures, or web presence, and plans for future development of other marketing material

Applications for the 2011 ABI Awards have closed. Our judges are diligently reviewing all applications, and all of the finalists in the four award categories will be notified by April 4th.

 

Please mark your calendars for the 2011 COSE ABI Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 28th from 6 to 9 pm at 78th Street Studios. Join us to learn who the top winners are, hear a keynote speech from Kevin Moore, Managing Director of the Cleveland Play House, tour the 78th Street Studios and enjoy fine food and drink from Luxe! For more information and to register, visit HERE.


Sponsored by:

Medical_Mutual_Logo      Cleveland Institute of Art      

 

In-kind Sponsors:

Fastsigns 2011