Presented as part of a national collaboration between Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA) and New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), now in its fourth year.
Over the past four years, Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA)—ArtsFairfax, Arlington Cultural Affairs Office, and the City of Alexandria Office of the Arts—has partnered with national nonprofit arts service organization New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) to deliver a series of virtual professional development workshops targeted at empowering artists, performers, and creatives.
Since its inception, this collaborative initiative has offered 18 programs reaching an impressive 12,565 participants across the region and beyond, providing them with practical tools, strategies, and insights to support their creative careers.
From November 2026-March 2027, the partnership will continue with five free professional development workshops:
- Artists and the Law: Protecting Your Work in the Age of AI – November 12, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
- Nonprofit Financial Literacy – January 14, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET,
- Crafting Your Creative Identity: Branding for Artists & Administrators – February 11, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
- Expanding Your Organization’s Funding Landscape – March 4, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
- Fund Your Art: Strategic Revenue Diversification for Creatives – March 18, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
In response to attendee feedback, this year’s sessions will alternate focus between artists and arts administrators. While each session highlights unique tools and strategies for one group, the core content is designed to deliver immediate value to both audiences.
Those interested may RSVP at the links above, with additional links and details forthcoming from NVLAA and NYFA. Past programs addressed a wide spectrum of professional development needs, including:
- Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls
- Storytelling: Communicating Your Impact
- Marketing Strategies for Artists and Creatives
- Build Your Fundraising Toolkit
- Public Art and Creative Placemaking: Activating Nontraditional Spaces
The artists attending these programs represented a wide variety of disciplines, a breakdown of which can be seen here:
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive from each virtual session. Testimonials included:
The online programming its contributors create and distribute are invaluable to artistic professional development, and an incredible place where collaboration occurs spontaneously across participants as the energy created is one of positivity, encouragement, and excitement. The information is always relevant and eye-opening, oftentimes including things not taught in schools or unspoken industry rules. I always leave the sessions eager for what the future brings knowing that I have the resources and skills to face some of those challenges. – Attendee
I had a very positive experience. I really appreciate the generosity behind this program and the commitment to keeping it accessible to everyone. It’s rare to find professional development opportunities that are both high quality and free. Thank you. – Attendee
About the Partnership
This partnership reflects a shared commitment by Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies and NYFA to foster resilience, sustainability, and professional growth in the creative sector. By prioritizing accessibility through virtual delivery, the series has effectively bridged geographic and economic barriers, reaching a diverse population of creatives at various stages of their careers.
About Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA)
NVLAA was created over 6 years ago with the goal to offer artists and arts organizations throughout the Northern Virginia region a series of free professional development workshops and opportunities for networking. NVLAA is comprised of staff from Alexandria Office of the Arts, Arlington Cultural Affairs Office, and ArtsFairfax.
About New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
Established in 1971, the mission of the NYFA is to empower artists in all disciplines, as well as cultural workers, to achieve success on their own terms by providing critical support, resources, and opportunities. NYFA envisions a world where artists thrive in the practice and expression of their creative work, a world that celebrates and supports them. We center this work through four flagship programs: Learning, Awards & Grants, Fiscal Sponsorship, and Online Resources. NYFA serves approximately 1 million constituents in person and online, annually. This workshop series is part of NYFA Learning, NYFA’s global professional development programming that provides artists and creatives the information, resources, and community they need to meet their career goals.
