What They Didn't Teach You in Drawing in the Nude

A few tricks of the trade from a money-making artist.

Jennnevieve Schlemmer is tall, strong and loud.

She is also unabashedly ambitious. Known for her work in sculpture and public art, such as her mosaics at Cheney Stadium, in just four years in Tacoma she’s become one of the fastest rising stars on the local arts horizon.

Illustration by Chris Bivins for City Arts

On a recent rainy night, I met Schlemmer at the Crown Bar to discuss her rapid ascent from UW art student to retail clerk to thriving full-time artist. I wanted to know the nuts and bolts — and dollars and cents — of how she did it, and what she’s learned along the way that might benefit others clawing through the ranks. The conversation lasted nearly five hours and spanned topics as diverse as Dashiell Hammett, bar fights and where to get good Argentinean food in Paris. On the subject of the oft-maligned art business Schlemmer was breezy.

“I don’t think you have to suffer to make art,” Schlemmer told me. She believes that artists, like other people, are better off happy, healthy and financially secure. She has little sympathy for the so-called starving artist, who seems to purposely make art that no one will want, barely try to sell it and then whine that the deck’s stacked against him. When that artist’s ivory tower comes tumbling down and he winds up working at Wal-Mart, she’ll be out in her garage getting paid to create. Schlemmer, who attributes her business acumen partly to heredity (her father is a former executive), takes pride in promoting herself, in courting commissions and making money.

The artist who is not an entrepreneur, Schlemmer believes, had better hang on to that day job. She offers these tips in case you’re thinking of quitting yours.  

Think of art as commerce.
You can’t just make what you want and then go out and find someone to buy it. It’s not selling out or wrong to look at what people are interested in. If all you make is giant paintings of dinosaurs when there’s no market for giant paintings of dinosaurs, you’re never going to sell. Most artists have a billion things that they like to do. Find, on that broad spectrum, what you like to do that can make you money.

Get a commission.
Many artists think you’re selling out if you take a commission. Everyone forgets that Michelangelo had deadlines and patrons, and that’s a great way to work!

Make a schedule and stick to it.
To get up every day and do art is hard.  You have to say, “I’m going to do A through C at this time every day,” and then do it.

Look professional.
Get a business license right away, even if you only sell five small pieces a year. If you give someone an invoice that has sales tax on it, they’re going to look at you differently than at someone who says, “Oh, thirty-five bucks cash.”

Learn budgeting and billing.
Get in the habit now, and then when you start making more money, you’ll know how to deal with it.

Hire an accountant.
This will save you money. There are so many things you can write off that you’ve probably never considered.

Find an alternative venue.
I’ve sold more stuff in cafés than I ever have in a gallery. People go to the café every day, whereas they only go to a gallery once. Also, you can price things lower, because you don’t have the overhead — usually the café doesn’t even take a cut.

Make your own thing.
You don’t have to wait for a call to artists. There are little festivals everywhere, like Bumbershoot, Folklife and farmers’ markets, where you can come up with an installation and make your own event.

Volunteer.
There are always big community art projects and festivals going on. If you want to get to know people in the arts scene, go help out.

Shamelessly flaunt your web address.
www.jennevieve.com •