Pricing your work, cultivating patrons, and figuring out how to get in touch with the right buyers for your work has long been a primary goal and challenge for visual artists. In Part 2 of this three-part professional development series, join NYFA Program Officer in Career Advice and Training Kelly Olshan, with guest speaker Brendan Burns, CEO of global artist discovery platform See.me, who will be joining LIVE from Art Basel Miami!
The live stream will also feature a special guest and gallerist, Valerie Cabrera Brugal, Founder or Catalysta, who will be joining from their booth in Miami to provide artists a behind-the-scenes look of the art fair experience and what gallerists look for when considering working with an artist.
Tune in on IG live for a discussion covering:
- How to find the right buyers for your art–including options beyond the individual purchaser
- What collectors look for when considering which works to purchase
- Simple things you can do as an artist to encourage sales
- Tips for thinking about pricing your work
Guest Speaker: Brendan Burns–CEO, See.me
Co-Founder & Strategic Advisor, The Enterprise Studio @ Sotheby’s Institute of Art
Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia Business School, Columbia University
Brendan Burns has spent over 20 years at leading technology, arts and financial institutions including Stepstone Art Resources (parent of See.me), Culture.tech, 1000|Museums, Moody’s Investors Service, Salomon Brothers, and AdOne, an Internet software pioneer.
Currently, Brendan is the CEO of See|Me (www.see.me), a global discovery platform that connects new and emerging artists with collectors and enthusiasts. Over the last several years we have conducted multiple competitive exhibitions at Art Basel Miami, Times Square in NYC, the Louvre and the White House (among others). SeeMe has a large direct and social footprint with nearly 500,000 followers and 1 million+ subscribers (including email).
Previously (2013-2015) Brendan developed a turnaround plan and strategic repositioning as the CEO of 1000|Museums, a venture-backed ecommerce and art licensing pioneer. 1000|Museums built a global network of fine art museums such as the Guggenheim (NYC), the Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam) and the MFA Houston, among many others. Burns raised over $5 million in private equity capital for the Company ultimately selling the company to a strategic acquiror.
Brendan is also an experienced entrepreneurship educator and is an adjunct professor in the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia’s Graduate Business School while also serving on the Advisory board of the Lang Fund which invests in and mentors promising student-originated startups. Additionally, in 2021 Brendan helped conceive and launch The Enterprise Studio at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, a global entrepreneurship accelerator for aspiring art professionals. Brendan has an MBA from the Graduate Business School of Columbia University and earned his BS from Fordham University. As a professor and mentor, Brendan has helped nurture young entrepreneurs whose companies have gone one to raise over $2 billion in capital and achieve over $15 billion in economic value along with employing thousands of people and improving the world.
The discussion will feature art expert insights and will from run for 30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of live Q&A. No RSVP necessary, just join us on Instagram.
Visit https://www.instagram.com/torpedofactory/ to view the conversation.
The series includes:
- Finding the Right Open Calls, Residencies, & Galleries for You
- Cultivating Art Sales and Patrons
- Behind the Scenes of a Grant Panel
This opportunity is presented in partnership between Torpedo Factory Art Center and New York Foundation for the Arts.
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is a 501(c)(3) service organization that provides artists, emerging arts organizations, arts administrators, and students with critical support, professional development tools, and resources for defining and achieving career success. NYFA was established in 1971 to serve individual artists throughout New York State. Since then, they have extended their programs and services throughout the United States and internationally and expanded our scope to serve additional members of the arts community.