Empower your artistic journey with the essential skills needed to thrive in the competitive world of fine art photography with R. J. Kern. Gain invaluable insights on marketing strategies, licensing, contracts, pricing your work, and building a sustainable business model in this immersive and practical online course.

Dates:
Oct 8, 2024 - Oct 24, 2024

Levels: Intermediate, Advanced,
Workshop Fee: $425
Workshop Duration: 15 hours over 6 sessions (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-2:30pm ET)
Workshop Location: Online
Class Size: 30

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets Tuesdays & Thursdays, Oct 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 & 24 from 12-2:30pm ET.

Intro slide of Workshop
Intro slide of the workshop.

The act of photographers helping each other builds community and results in a better, more robust art world. From this foundational premise, R.J. Kern is offering his help to other photographers as they navigate the business of fine art photography. In this online workshop, R. J. imparts the essential career tips that allow emerging fine-art photographers to grow creatively while also growing their businesses.

R. J. Kern at his desk, waiving!
R. J. Kern at his desk, waiving!

R. J. offers guidance on everything from landing gallery representation to structuring limited editions and pricing work—not to mention staying happy throughout it all. He speaks in-depth about the pillars of business that strengthen an art career, like branding and marketing (including developing an online presence), putting together a portfolio, knowing how to use certificates of authenticity, exploring potential exhibition venues, and much more.

Because cultivating the right audience for your artwork can make or break your business, we also examine subjects such as how to find a publisher and acquire financing for your book project—that is, of course, assuming you wish to publish one at all.

"Mr. Hofsós, Skagafjardarsysla, Iceland” (2014)
“Mr. Hofsós, Skagafjardarsysla, Iceland” (2014)
"Hazel, Geiranger Fjord, Norway” (2013)
“Hazel, Geiranger Fjord, Norway” (2013)
"Olaf, Lofoten Islands, Norway” (2013)
“Olaf, Lofoten Islands, Norway” (2013)

Whether you are wondering how to nurture a gallery relationship (that includes knowing when it’s time to quit) or why it’s important to differentiate between a completed project and one that is ongoing (some last for years), R. J. shares an invaluable perspective honed over decades, one you won’t find taught in MFA programs.

"Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016"
“Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016”
Book View: “The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral” (MW Editions, 2021)
Book View: “The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral” (MW Editions, 2021)
Gallery view at Burnet Fine Art of print to be acquired by Minneapolis Institute of Art, "Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016” (Ed 10 of 10).
Gallery view at Burnet Fine Art of print to be acquired by Minneapolis Institute of Art, “Kenzi and Hootie, Anoka County Fair, Minnesota, 2016” (Ed 10 of 10).
Houston FotoFest 2020 with R. J. Kern’s project, “The Best of the Best"
Houston FotoFest 2020 with R. J. Kern’s project, “The Best of the Best”
"Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022"
“Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022”
Installation View, "Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022"
Installation View, “Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022”
"Opichi Drum performance at Mahnomen County Fair, White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 2023"
“Opichi Drum performance at Mahnomen County Fair, White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 2023”
Installation View, "Opichi Drum performance at Mahnomen County Fair, White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 2023"
Installation View, “Opichi Drum performance at Mahnomen County Fair, White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 2023”
Preview of custom framing for touring exhibition
Preview of custom framing for touring exhibition

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Instructor: R. J. Kern

R. J. Kern’s work has been featured in National Geographic; in exhibitions at the Zurab Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art (Tbilisi), the National Portrait Gallery (London), and the Yixian International Photo Festival (Anhui, China); and solo exhibitions at the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Masur Museum of Art, The Plains Art Museum, and Oklahoma State University Museum of Art. Public collections include Minneapolis Institute of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. R. J. was a 2017 CENTER Choice Award winner, a Critical Mass Top 50 for 2018 and 2021. Monographs include: The Sheep and the Goats (Keher Verlag, 2017) and The Unchosen Ones (MW Editions, 2021).

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