Thinking About Leading Your Own International Art Workshop?

I've been doing this for more than 33 years. I've learned a lot along the way—sometimes the easy way, and sometimes definitely the hard way.

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If you've ever thought about taking a group of artists to Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, or somewhere else you've always dreamed of painting, you've probably already imagined the fun part.

Finding the places to paint.
Sharing great meals.
Exploring a new country.
Watching your students experience something they'll never forget.

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But there's another side to organizing an international workshop that most people never see.

And that's where things can get complicated.

There is much more to it than teaching

Over the past 33 years, I've organized international painting workshops in Europe, Latin America, and other destinations.

I've negotiated with hotels in foreign countries, arranged transportation, dealt with cancellations, handled emergencies, solved problems that appeared out of nowhere, and figured out what to do when carefully made plans suddenly fell apart.

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I've also made plenty of mistakes.

The kind of mistakes that can cost money.

The kind that can keep you awake at night.

And the kind that, once you've experienced them, teach you lessons you never forget.

I've learned that a successful workshop isn't just about finding a beautiful destination and being a good teacher.

It's about the planning and decisions that happen long before your students ever get on the airplane.

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What Should You Be Thinking About?

Before you accept your first registration, there are questions you need to answer.

How many participants do you need?

What should you charge?

How do you determine whether the workshop will actually be profitable?

How do you choose a hotel that your students will enjoy—not just one that looks good online?

What should you negotiate with the hotel?

How will your group get from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to your painting locations?

What happens when someone cancels?

What happens when someone's luggage doesn't arrive?

What happens when the hotel loses your reservation? Yes. That one has happened to me!

And then there are all the things you don't even know you need to think about until you've been through them.

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That's Where I Can Help

I'm not going to give you a formula for running a workshop.

Every workshop is different. Your destination is different. Your students are different. Your budget is different. And what works for one leader may not work for another.

What I can do is sit down with you and talk through your particular idea.

We can look at your destination, your proposed group size, your budget, your pricing, your hotel plans, transportation, contracts, potential problems—and the questions you may not have thought to ask yet.

My goal isn't to tell you what to do.

It's to help you see the road ahead before you start spending money and making commitments.

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A 90-Minute Workshop Blueprint Session

I've created a one-on-one consulting session for artists, instructors, and organizations who are considering leading their own international workshops.

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During our 90 minutes together, we'll talk about:

• Your destination and overall workshop concept

• Group size and pricing

• Hotel selection and negotiations

• Transportation and logistics

• Contracts, deposits and cancellations

• Potential risks and unexpected problems

• What you may have overlooked

• The practical questions you should answer before accepting registrations

You'll come away with a clearer picture of what you're getting into—and a better idea of what needs to happen before you move forward.

90-Minute Workshop Blueprint Session — $295

This isn't a course or a generic how-to program.

It's a conversation about your workshop and the particular challenges you're likely to face.

After 35 years of doing this, I've accumulated a lot of hard-earned knowledge. I'm finally making some of it available to other artists who want to create their own international workshop experiences.

Interested?

If you're thinking about leading a workshop and would like to talk about your idea, send me an email.

Tell me a little about what you're considering, where you're thinking of going, and what stage you're at in the planning process.

I'd be happy to hear what you're thinking about.

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