Artists are often the force behind a community’s innovation and community development, but in many mid-sized cities individual creators struggle with the business side of their craft. Tasks like writing contracts, hiring lawyers, developing business plans, and managing client relationships are challenges that can make or break any business. Recognizing this gap in the artist community, the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and the Haile Foundation are launching the Cincinnati Artist Network (CAN) this fall.
At the heart of CAN is an online directory of regional artists, but the initiative goes beyond a website. CAN is offering working artists access to the same business resources, group healthcare discounts, and networking opportunities that Chamber members enjoy. The network emerged from a 2019 Haile Foundation survey that revealed the need for entrepreneurial support in the artist community. “It found that local artists needed help when it came to being entrepreneurs,” says CAN Executive Director Tamia Stinson (pictured above). “When you’re an independent artist, whether you want to or not, you’re running your own business.”
While Cincinnati maintains major art museums, performing arts organizations, and high-profile arts events, those behind the arts ecosystem—painters, ceramicists, dancers, and writers—often lack infrastructure to build sustainable businesses. Many artists are one-person operations and juggle the creative work with other tasks like marketing, clients, and finances.
“One of the things we always talk about is Cincinnati being a city for the arts,” says Stinson. “But we forget there is no ‘the arts’ without the artists. CAN is meant to create the infrastructure to make sure they can succeed and thrive here.”
Cincinnati is recognized nationally for investing in the arts. The city is a mainstay on USA Today’s Top 10 Best Cities for Street Art, this year at No. 2. BLINK is one of the region’s most economically impactful events. “I’m an artist myself,” says Cal Cullen, program manager at the Haile Foundation, “and I can tell you that artists are the future. We’re innovators, collaboratives, and creatives who are on the cutting edge of what’s next, we’re often the first sparks of progress in community development, in business development and innovation.”
CAN’s online directory will be the main entry point where artists can join and the public can find and hire local talent. Stinson says event planners, small businesses, corporate partners, and the community at large can connect with an artist to create branded swag, hire a musician for an event, or find a performing artist for a child’s birthday party.
Cullen says the Haile Foundation’s overarching goal is to enhance the quality of life for area residents, and the arts are key to enhancing quality. “We’re very interested in supporting initiatives and organizations to build a thriving arts ecosystem that allow artists to thrive,” she says.
[Photograph by Skylinn Jenkins]