Marketing & Art Administration
Marketing
Social media marketing is not a new thing for me. I was the director of marketing for Pacific University's Visiting Writers Series and The Boxer Food Share. In June I was able to take my skills to the next level.
I made strategic plans for increasing our following and posted constantly about artists from around the world, their work, and life in Italy. Suddenly, the artist residency received multiple daily emails and phone calls from artists applying for residency
Since returning to La Macina at the end of August, I have pushed myself to try vlogs about life at La Macina and using Meta Business to make paid promotional ads.
Mimma also has me post open calls on websites like Rivet, TransArtists, and Wooloo. My skills as a Creative Writing major are essential. I am marketing to an international audience. It's my job to make La Macina look professional and intriguing.
I first learned how to use social media analytics and paid promotions from a Social Media certification that Jeslyn Lemke teaches in her journalism classes. It's fun making use of all of the little things that I learned in classes!
Art Administration
A major aspect of art administration is navigating the needs of artists who are stressed out after traveling, before an exhibition, and while away from home.
I give tours of the residency, explain the history of the area, and help artists settle in.
I also assist Mimma in planning community events and day trips to art exhibitions or historical sites.
Before an artist leaves, we hold an open studio for them to receive feedback from the local arts community.
I help the artists prepare their work for the presentation. This curation involves lots of problem-solving and patience.
We had one artist who was worried about family matters back home and as a result, didn't produce as much art as she expected of herself.
At her open studio exhibition, I quickly found ways to highlight the beauty of what she did create. It was rewarding to see her mood shift as guests oohed and awed at her art.
YouTube
While at La Macina, I tried my hand at video production. Not going to win a Golden Globe, but now I have the skills in my back pocket.
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