Upcoming 2025 Professional Development Workshops
Art & Law Workshop:
Understanding Appropriation, Copyright & Fair Use
Presented by Atreya Mathur
Workshop Description:
Are all visual artworks protected by copyright law? What rights do you, as an artist, have to control the use of your work? How can you draw inspiration from others without crossing the line into infringement? In this workshop, we'll delve into these key questions and more. We will explore the fundamentals of copyright law, focusing on artists' rights, protections, and limitations.
Presenter Bio:
Atreya Mathur is the Director of Legal Research at the Center for Art Law. She received her Master of Laws from New York University School of Law where she specialized in Competition, Innovation, and Information Laws, with a focus on copyright, intellectual property, and art law.
At the Center she conducts legal research on an array of art and law related topics including copyright law, artificial intelligence and art, contracts, artists rights, estates and legal issues in contemporary and digital art. She publishes articles; conducts and teaches art & law workshops; addresses legal inquiries, contract reviews and conducts interviews with artists on general legal concerns. She has had her papers on copyright, art, international trade, and corporate governance published in several international journals and blogs including the European Journal of Sustainable Development, the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, Center for Art Law and the New York University Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law Journal, and forthcoming publication in the New York State Bar Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Journal.
Free for ACOR Members - Register HERE
$20 for Non-members - Register HERE
From the Heart of the Writer - To the Hands of the Editor
Presented by Tanio McCallum
Workshop Description:
A discussion about the important and nuanced role of editing on the journey to get published. No matter how you plan on getting your words out into the world (self-publishing, hybrid publishing or through a small or mainstream press), it is essential to find the right editor for you and your project.
Presenter Bio:
Tanio M. McCallum lives in Nyack, New York and holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She is a writing coach who facilitates workshops, hosts destination writing retreats and works 1:1 to support budding writers “Birth” their books through her business, Writes of Passage.
An official editor for Pratt Institute and an English Professor at Lehman College, Ms. McCallum has over twenty years teaching writing and has held workshops in New York and Paris. Her experience in the Publishing Industry includes work as an assistant literary agent, a senior editor for an educational consulting and publishing company, a marketing and events manager for a small press, as well as a freelance writer, editor and desktop publisher.
Ms. McCallum is a Best-Selling author, with her most recent publication as a contributing author in The Ancestor’s Within: Recognize and Embrace the Gifts of Your Origins, released June, 2022, as well as the accompanying journal. Her poetry is featured in a Zine called “As We Turn” by Little Oak Press, released September, 2022. In addition, she was shortlisted for a residency at Djerrasi and is a first-place winner of a New Millennium Writer’s contest.
Free for ACOR Members - Register HERE
$20 for Non-members - Register HERE
Past 2025 Professional Development Workhops
Screenwriting Basics
Presented by J.D. Zeik
Workshop Description:
This workshop will cover the fundamentals of screenwriting, from three-act structure, treatment writing and pitching, to an understanding of the business side of screenwriting (such as the difference between managers and agents). Participants are urged to watch the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as it will be used to illustrate structure. While there are no requirements, it is hoped that participants will present an idea for a film that can be discussed.
Presenter Bio:
J.D. Zeik’s original screenplay Ronin, starring Robert De Niro, was released by United Artists in 1998. He also wrote Pistol Whipped for Steven Seagal, and wrote and produced Witchblade for TNT, which led to a TV series in 2001-2002. He collaborated with Michelle Yeoh on The Touch and with Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) on The Contract, starring Morgan Freeman and John Cusack. Zeik has worked with directors such as Alfonso Cuarón, Harold Becker, James Cameron, and the late John Frankenheimer. Recent projects include the His Way, a biopic about singer Jimmy Roselli for Merchant/Ivory Productions, and Shadow Land starring Jon Voight, shot in Bulgaria in 2023. A SUNY Purchase graduate, Zeik has taught screenwriting there since 2000.
Past 2024 Professional Development Workshops
Pricing Your Artwork
Presented by Courtney Childress
Workshop Description:
In this virtual workshop, Courtney will guide artists through a comprehensive framework for setting appropriate prices for their work. She will delve into key factors such as exhibition history, press coverage, previous sales, and material costs, offering a clear and structured approach to pricing. Courtney’s emphasis is on moving beyond emotional pricing, encouraging artists to shift away from the common mindset of justifying prices based solely on the time spent on a piece.
Archiving Your Artwork
Presented by Barbara Pollitt
Workshop Description:
Whether you are an artist, collector, archivist, or student, mastering the art of digitally inventorying your collection is essential for advancing your ability to share, exhibit, sell, or simply refine your work.
In this workshop, you'll learn how to utilize the systems employed by the Sari Dienes Foundation, as well as explore other publicly available tools designed for managing collections.
Branding and Marketing Basics for Artists
Presented by Andrea Rhodes
Workshop Description:
Let’s start with the basics of any marketing effort - your brand positioning. Whether you’re an individual artist, a small cultural group or an arts organization, you have a brand. So we'll look to create (or flesh out) your brand story and boost your marketing. A logo, website, e-news and social media are vital parts of the mix. How are those going for you? In this workshop, we’ll provide on-the-spot ideas and inspirations to get your efforts moving.
Self-Publishing Your Book:
The Pros & Cons
A Panel Discussion with Lisa Levart, Betsy Franco-Feeney, and Tom Stratford
Panel Discussion Description:
Three self-published authors will share the successes and trials of bringing their work into the public’s eye without a traditional publishing house. During an invigorating panel discussion, the authors will share different ways to navigate this bold path. Topics to be explored will be fundraising through crowdsourcing, the benefits of creative control, getting your book ready for the printer and marketing.
Fiscal Sponsorship: Building a Community of Support
Presented by Madeleine Cutrona
Workshop Description:
Fiscal sponsorship is a fundraising tool that can help support your work as an independent artist. Do you have a brilliant idea for a nonprofit arts project? Are you ready to leverage the power of grants and individual donors? Eager to expand your network of supporters? Join Madeleine Cutrona, Director of Fiscal Sponsorship at the New York Foundation for the Arts to explore these questions.
Grant Writing for Artists
Presented by Lily Greenberg
Workshop Description:
In this workshop, we will explore the ins and outs of finding and submitting to grant opportunities for artists of all kinds. The focus of this workshop is on process, and how submitting to grants can be a useful tool for clarifying your current artistic endeavors. Grants are one way in which artists communicate why their work matters for audience participation (in this case, funding) and the Artist Statement is foundational to this - it’s the core text that can be adapted for all different support purposes.