Olga Stefan is the executive director for the Chicago Artists Coalition. The Chicago Artists Coalition is a visual arts organization whose mission is to fulfill four basic needs: the education of the general public regarding the value of the visual arts to society; the advocacy of visual arts issues for members and the art community; the provision of professional and educational services for artists and the arts community; the improvement of the environment in which artists live and work.
In this excerpt from an Self-Employment in the Arts Conference lecture on becoming a professional in the visual arts, Olga Stefan of the Chicago Artists Coalition discusses what "professional" actually means, and whether it really strictly refers to those who make money on the sale of their works. She also cites some of the resources available to artists in the midst of the creative process, such as artist residencies.
In this full-length session on arts advocacy held at the Self Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference in February 2008, three panelists discuss how they got involved in advocacy, the types of advocacy that can happen politically at the local, regional, and national level, and how you can get involved today to advocate arts to government leaders.
In this excerpt from an SEA conference lecture on becoming a professional in the visual arts, Olga Stefan of the Chicago Artists Coalition discusses what "professional" actually means, and whether it really strictly refers to those who make money on the sale of their works. She also cites some of the resources available to artists in the midst of the creative process, such as artist residencies.
In this segment of a panel discussion on arts advocacy, the panelists engage in a frank discussion of how government funding and the shifting mandates that accompany that funding have affected arts education in public schools – particularly in Illinois – as well as other challenges which educators and advocates continually struggle with.
In this excerpt from an SEA conference on becoming a professional in the visual arts, Olga Stefan of the Chicago Artists Coalition discusses how to build a portfolio of your works, how to document each finished piece, how to submit your work to a gallery or show using your portfolio, and more.
In this segment from a panel titled “Arts Alliances: Networking, Advocacy, and Politics” held at the SEA conference in February 2008,, the panelists discuss the importance of partnership and collaboration in successfully advocating for support for the arts at the local, regional and national levels. Each panelist discusses what specific benefits and services their organizations offer to artists.
In this segment from a panel titled “Arts Alliances: Networking, Advocacy, and Politics” held at the SEA conference in February 2008,, panelists Ra Joy, Olga Stefan, and Denise Laurin share some tips about how to get involved in advocating for the arts by starting a dialogue with your local and national representatives. They discuss what to expect, what kind of response to expect, and how best to go about contacting your congressional representatives and local leaders.
In this segment from a panel titled “Arts Alliances: Networking, Advocacy, and Politics” held at the SEA conference in February 2008, designer Denise Laurin explains the central role that the arts play in fostering and preserving a national shared culture.
