Our Business of Art Courses
Maykyn courses are built around short, focused modules that fit into busy schedules. Learn at your own pace, whenever you have time, with each course dedicated to a specific part of building and managing a successful art business.
Legal Foundations for Artists
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Most artists learn the business side by getting it wrong first — a show that goes sideways, a letter from the state, an order that never gets paid. This course walks you through those decisions in the order you actually face them, in plain language, with printable checklists so you never have to hold it all in your head.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Know when your art became a business — and what changes the moment it does
Choose your structure — sole proprietor, LLC, or DBA, and when to move between them
Get your numbers — EIN, state sales tax, and the permits that shows actually ask for
Keep the money clean — separate accounts, simple bookkeeping, and the deductions artists miss
Cover your risks — the four kinds of insurance, and which ones you genuinely need
Protect your work — commission, wholesale, and consignment agreements, plus how copyright really works
Leave with checklists — a thirty-day setup plan, a yearly compliance list, and sample agreements
Seven modules. Orientation, not legal advice — the course also covers when to bring in a lawyer.
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Branding for Artists
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This practical course helps artists define, evaluate, and strengthen a distinctive brand that makes their work easier to recognize, remember, and connect with across exhibitions, websites, social media, and other customer touchpoints. The course offers simple exercises at the end of each lecture to guide artists through the process.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Understand why building an effective brand helps artists stand out from the crowd.
Identify the visual, verbal, and experiential elements that shape an artist brand.
Define the ideal patrons and audiences most likely to connect with your work.
Evaluate the clarity and consistency of your current brand across key channels.
Clarify the story, values, and qualities that distinguish your artistic practice.
Align your website, social media, exhibition materials, and in-person presentation.
Create a practical action plan for strengthening your brand over time.
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Exhibiting at Fine Art Shows
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This practical course guides artists through the full fine art show experience—from selecting and applying to juried events to creating a professional booth, connecting with patrons, completing sales, and building lasting customer relationships.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Evaluate juried fine art shows and identify opportunities that fit your work, audience, and goals.
Prepare a professional application with strong artwork images and an effective booth photograph.
Understand how jury decisions are made and how to strengthen future submissions.
Plan a polished, weather-ready booth with appropriate tents, weights, displays, lighting, and supplies.
Create a concise elevator pitch and discuss your artwork in an engaging, authentic way.
Guide patrons through purchasing decisions without creating pressure.
Set up payment, lead-capture, customer-service, and follow-up systems that support repeat business.
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Creating Quality Digital Images
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Learn a practical process for creating clear, accurate photographs of your artwork using a phone or camera and simple editing tools. This course takes you from preparing and lighting your work to making finished images for galleries, juried shows, websites, social media, and prints.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Prepare two-dimensional artwork and sculpture for photography.
Set up a clean background and even lighting.
Choose camera settings that preserve image quality.
Transfer original photos to a computer or iPad.
Crop, straighten, and correct images in Affinity.
Export high-quality JPEGs and size them for different uses.
Name and organize files so they are easy to find.
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Coming Soon!
Exhibiting in Galleries
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Learn a practical process for preparing your artwork and presenting it professionally to art galleries. This course takes you from selecting and preparing your work to creating a cohesive exhibition, approaching galleries, and making the materials you need to present your work with confidence.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Select and prepare artwork for gallery exhibition.
Develop a cohesive body of work and exhibition concept.
Determine appropriate presentation, framing, and installation requirements.
Photograph your artwork and create professional documentation.
Prepare an artist statement, biography, and exhibition checklist.
Create a professional portfolio and gallery submission materials.
Research galleries and identify appropriate opportunities for your work.
Approach galleries professionally and understand what to expect from the exhibition process.
Coming Soon!
Websites for Artists
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Learn how to create a professional website that showcases your artwork, tells your story, and helps galleries, collectors, and potential buyers connect with you. This course takes you through the essentials of having an artist website, choosing a hosting platform, organizing your content, and building a site that presents your work beautifully without making the process unnecessarily complicated.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Recommendation on website-building platforms, with beautiful designs, customizable layouts, and wide range of features and options for artists.
Learn the basics of building website pages, adding images and text, organizing content, and creating a cohesive visual experience.
Develop a simple, effective site map that makes it easy for visitors to navigate your website and find what they need.
Create a professional portfolio that showcases your artwork clearly and consistently.
Learn how to organize your About page, portfolio, artist statement, exhibitions, and other information to support your artistic career.
Understand the basics of making your website accessible to search engines and keeping your content current.
Connecting social media accounts to your new site.
Build a practical foundation for a website you can expand as your art practice and professional goals grow.
Coming Soon!
Art, the Artist, and AI
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As an artist, your most valuable work happens in the studio—not in your inbox, on social media, or buried in business paperwork. AI can help you manage the business side of your art practice more efficiently, giving you more time and energy to focus on what matters most: creating your own original work.
This course explores practical ways to use AI as a business assistant, from writing and marketing to research, planning, and everyday administration. Learn how to use these tools to simplify repetitive tasks, organize your ideas, and make running your art business more manageable—without handing over your creativity or your artistic voice to a machine.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Understand what AI is, how it works, and how it can support the business side of your art practice.
Learn how to use AI as a practical assistant for everyday business tasks, without relying on it to create your artwork or replace your creative judgment.
Polish artist biographies, artist statements, exhibition descriptions, artwork descriptions, and other professional materials that you write — while keeping your own voice.
Use your own ideas, but develop content more efficiently, including social media captions, newsletters, blog posts, and promotional announcements.
Improve your human-written website content, product descriptions, FAQs, and other written materials to help collectors and potential buyers understand your work and business.
Research galleries, exhibitions, art fairs, grants, residencies, and other professional opportunities, using AI to organize findings and identify promising leads.
Proof and edit the words you write to produce professional emails, prepare responses to common inquiries, and communicate more efficiently with galleries, collectors, customers, and event organizers.
Simplify planning and organization by creating checklists, project plans, schedules, reusable templates, and step-by-step workflows.
Use AI to help organize business information, summarize documents, analyze sales records, and identify patterns that can inform better business decisions.
Learn how to write effective prompts, provide useful context, and refine AI responses to get more relevant and reliable results.
Understand the limitations of AI, including inaccurate information, privacy concerns, copyright questions, and the importance of reviewing everything before using or publishing it.
Develop a practical approach to incorporating AI into your business that saves time, supports your goals, and leaves your creative work firmly in your hands.
“The course took the mystery out of applying to galleries and juried shows. Now I understand how to present my work, prepare stronger submissions and communicate professionally with galleries. I feel much more confident pursuing opportunities that used to seem intimidating.”
— Maykyn Course Participant
Social Media for Artists
This beginner-friendly course helps fine artists use Facebook, Instagram, and Canva to build a clear, consistent, and approachable online presence that supports discovery, engagement, and future sales opportunities.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Create or improve artist-focused Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Build professional profiles that are easy for collectors and customers to understand.
Choose effective photos, image sizes, post formats, and visual layouts.
Use Canva to create simple, reusable branded templates.
Write engaging captions that share the story behind the artwork.
Select relevant hashtags and keywords to improve discoverability.
Develop a sustainable posting routine and prepare for future advertising.
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