• Try “portfolio”, “ink”, “branding” or a code like “PRS 101”.

CBE 110Creative Business and Entrepreneurship

Finding Creative Opportunities

Find and apply for calls for art, juried shows, grants, residencies, markets and commissions, and track every application in one place.

Planned

About this course

Beyond client work, artists build careers through open calls, exhibitions, grants, residencies, art fairs and commissions. This course maps where those opportunities are announced, how to judge whether one is worth applying to (including spotting predatory fees and rights grabs), how to read eligibility and submission rules, and how to write a strong application package. You'll build an opportunity tracker and submit real applications.

Who it’s for: Illustrators, fine artists and designers who want to exhibit, publish, win funding or get commissions. A short bio and some documented work are helpful.

You will be able to

  • Map at least ten opportunity sources relevant to your discipline and region
  • Evaluate an opportunity for fit, cost, rights terms and credibility
  • Prepare an application package that follows submission rules exactly
  • Track applications, deadlines and results in a single system

Studio project

An opportunity tracker with ten researched, scored opportunities and five complete applications.

To complete this course

  • Complete every required lesson.
  • Have the assignment “Opportunity tracker and five applications” accepted by an instructor.
  • Records of completion are issued only for courses whose content has passed instructor review.

Syllabus

Working titles: they may change as the course is written.

  1. Module 1: Where opportunities are

    Know where calls are published.

    1. 1.1Calls for art and exhibitionsReading · 25 min
    2. 1.2Grants and residenciesReading · 25 min
    3. 1.3Markets, commissions and production workReading · 20 min

  2. Module 2: Is it worth it?

    Not every call deserves your time or money.

    1. 2.1Fit and effortExercise · 25 min
    2. 2.2Red flags: fees and rightsReading · 25 min

  3. Module 3: Applying well

    Follow the rules; make the reviewer's job easy.

    1. 3.1Reading the callExercise · 25 min
    2. 3.2The application packageExercise · 45 min
    3. 3.3Writing a project descriptionExercise · 35 min

  4. Module 4: Tracking and follow-up

    A system that turns rejections into data.

    1. 4.1The opportunity trackerExercise · 25 min
    2. 4.2Handling resultsReading · 20 min

Author: Ricketts University curriculum team (draft for founder review) · Not yet reviewed

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