Purpose: This is a special recognition category for a past winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize who has been successful both due to the quality of their artistic work and the business minded steps they have taken to create sustainable careers in the arts. Artists are encouraged to apply, even if they don’t consider themselves to be business owners or entrepreneurs

Awards: The Shared Awards’ top prize is $3000, and a choice of 2 avenues of free business support (website development, marketing, business advising, accounting, space…), a free year of COSE membership, exhibit, show, or presentation (depending on the artistic medium) in the new Positively Cleveland Visitors’ Center on Public Square, and an article in the COSE Update. Finalists receive a small commissioned artwork.

Nomination/Application Process: A public call for nominations will be announced in January 2008. The deadline for nominations is January 30th, 2008. Nominees will be asked to fill out a questionnaire for judging. Self applications are also welcome. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2008.

Eligibility:

• Past winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize
• Individual artist

Criteria

• Artists will be judged based on their commitment to sustaining their creative careers through showing the following:
• Artist(s) are earning revenue from their creative enterprise. Revenue validated. (please note: other sources of income do not disqualify from the competition).
• Applicant(s) have at least started the process of business planning: examples include, but are not limited to setting career goals, creating a business plan, participating in strategy sessions with a mentor, taking business related courses
• The artistic work is at the stage where the public or clients can view it, buy it, hire the artist, attend a program, etc.
• Applicant(s) can show some form of marketing material such as business cards, brochures, and web presence, and plans for future development of other marketing material