Creative Continuum 2022 will provide artists with tools to make money from their work

ABOVE: If you are an Ottawa artist, Creative Continuum 2022 will help you achieve business success.

During the pandemic, everyone had to learn how to interact in new ways. We sipped wine with friends over Zoom, attended meetings in our pajama bottoms, distracted ourselves by baking sourdough bread, and, despite art being both real and tangible, we became accustomed to viewing it digitally.

The great museums of Europe launched digital virtual tours for a quarantine warry public. Art went global in a way we have never seen, and artists entered a fascinating new phase where the works they create can be monetized and shared with a worldwide audience.

With this art revolution, new challenges have arisen. Some of these include a lack of intimacy and loss of connections. When artists work alone, as they did in isolation for two years, the creative experience is affected; there is a loss of community, connection, and intimacy behind the experience of creating works of art.

Whether you are an aspiring artist, a hobbyist who turned your side hustle into a full-time job during the pandemic, or an experienced professional, monetizing art has become more difficult in this globalized art culture. Not all artists have been able to profit in the online world.

The global art market can be formidable, making it hard to get your foot in the door. Enter Creative Continuum, the annual conference hosted by Arts Network Ottawa, a local group focused on bringing the talents of local artists to the forefront of the community.

Formerly known as “ARTPRENEUR,” the conference brings together business leaders and creative experts to help artists achieve business success. Creative Continuum 2022 is Ottawa’s only multi-disciplinary art conference and invites participants to ask, “what does it mean to create art in real life?”

Attendees can participate in interactive workshops, panels, and other networking functions, emphasizing hands-on learning tools, applying the virtual world and all its benefits to fine art, and connecting with a cross-section of Ottawa’s artists.

Creative Continuum 2022: “I.R.L/en realité” will take all that the creative community has learned during the shift brought about by the pandemic and share these experiences.

The conference attracts engaging keynote speakers. Past speakers have included acclaimed artist, speaker, writer, and curator Zainub Verjee, Andrew Jervis of Bandcamp.com, and Bruce Harvey, the former head of the Ottawa Film Office.

This year’s conference includes the exciting “Shoot your sho!t” contest. Five creators will pitch their ideas to a live audience and a panel of judges. The winner will receive $1000 to kickstart their project. You can apply to the contest by contacting Maya@artsnetworkottawa.ca.

Don’t miss the capital’s most valuable learning experience for both up-and-comers and veteran artists.

Creative Continuum 2022: “I.R.L/en realité” begins its two-day run on October 23, 2022, at the Bayview Yards.

For more information, check out Creative Continuum and the Arts Network Ottawa on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Header image: ARTPRENEUR