Marketing Your Art & Yourself Workshop

For Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.

-- ‘Professional Artistic Growth Made Accessible’ is an innovative partnership that steps beyond limiting societal perceptions of artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. Outsiders and Others will provide specialized professional development opportunities to help participants move forward in their artistic lives. Participants will be welcomed into the gallery for one-on-one artist consultations and small-group workshops with gallery curator Yuri Arajs, and co-facilitated with artist Seema Shah who has lived experience with mental health issues.

In addition to personalized mentorship, there will be two gallery exhibitions this year that feature artists with lived experience of mental illness. One will take place in May and will be in our window gallery at 938 Howe Street and the other in December at our walk-in gallery at 716 East Hastings Street and will be in celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Both will be co-curated by Yuri Arajs and Seema Shah.

Join us for a FREE workshop on Marketing Your Art and Yourself specifically for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. 

Get insight from curator and gallery owner Yuri Arajs, as well as experience-based strategies from Seema Shah, an artist with lived experience of mental health issues. All in a safe and welcoming Zoom environment. 

Discussion topics may include but are not limited to: 

PR, social media, your attitude about your artwork and yourself, finding your niche(s), embracing your uniqueness, connecting and being active in the arts community, keeping your eyes and mind open to opportunities, staying true to yourself in the process, and dealing with the unpredictability of illness. 

And there will be lots of time for questions and answers, as well as for sharing of experience.

To register, simply email Seema at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form. Please put “Marketing Workshop” in the subject line.