The art of marketing arts marketing to artists

While marketing is increasingly recognised as essential in today’s innovation-driven marketplace, its value within the artistic community remains a point of contention. This chapter addresses the reservations many artists, particularly in the traditional fine arts field, still hold towards marketing practices. The central argument is that arts marketing itself can be marketed to artists by reframing traditional marketing concepts in a way that makes them more acceptable to artists who fear marketing could compromise their artistic integrity. By considering how an arts marketing course might be taught in a traditional art school and reworking typical arts marketing content, the chapter proposes how marketing can be positioned as a tool that enhances and supports artistic work rather than detracting from it. In so doing, this chapter aims to challenge and potentially shift the negative perception of marketing among ‘apprehensive artists’ through demonstrating how marketing can be both accessible and meaningful for artistic endeavours.