Dolores art teacher Jay Anderson is encouraging his students to take their artwork to the next skill level, then focus on marketing their creations.
This year he rolled out the Dolores Arts Guild as a way to promote local talent and teach students the business side of selling their work.
“We’re raising the stakes, taking art more seriously,” Anderson said. “I want students to realize they can have a career in art, or if it’s a main hobby, how to make it a side business.”
The business model for the Dolores Arts Guild is for participating students to invest a small amount in a project, like $2, then sell it for five times that investment.
Along with the artist, Anderson will help guide the piece to commercial quality and come up with a marketing strategy with the student. A portion of the profits will go toward the artist, with a portion towards supplies and overhead costs.
“We have 35-40 talented artists in school right now, and when they realize their artwork has economic value, it gives them confidence and opens up career opportunities,” Anderson said.
The arts guild is just getting started, with eventual plans for a website and studio showcasing local artwork for sale.
Sophomore Bri Suckla draws Western landscapes and topics, skills she learned taking art classes at Dolores. She appreciates the idea of more professional development in the art program.
“Instead of art class just being school work, we’re going to gain business experience so we are more ready for the outside world,” she said.
Watercolor artist Julia Sellers, a senior, creates scenic cards of landscapes and galaxies, which she hands out to friends and family.
“If I could sell them somewhere I would,” she said.
Anderson works with Southwest Printing to create high quality posters of the student’s best work. The finished product adds to a student portfolio, and could jump-start a career in graphic arts.
“With the school to career initiative, we want to link what we do in the classroom to real world experience that is relevant,” Anderson said. “We’re taking the visual arts from academic filler, to a prominent, crucial part of education.”
Anderson envisions the guild “forming a community of artists, open to all” with a local studio, and classes in graphic arts, painting, photography, pottery, etc.
Check out some Dolores student artwork on display at the Pony Expresso coffee shop. For information on the Dolores Arts Guild, contact Anderson at (970) 739-7375.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com