Create or die: Arts Hub teaches financial literacy to artists in weekend workshop

By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper – For many artists, pursuing a creative career can mean navigating an unpredictable income, balancing multiple jobs and figuring out financial planning without the benefit of traditional employment structures. A free upcoming workshop hosted by Arts Hub hopes to make that process a little easier.

“Building Your Financial Future,” led by financial advisor and arts advocate Tamara Bates, will take place virtually on June 27 and is designed to help artists develop practical skills for managing debt, saving for the future and building sustainable careers.

Arts Hub is an Albuquerque-based nonprofit centered on arts advocacy and artist development. Over the past few years, the organization has sponsored the Arts Hub Fellowship – a six-week professional artist development intensive – and produced the Albuquerque Funny Fiesta – a popular showcase for local and regional stand-up, improv and sketch comedy.

According to Arts Hub Artist Development Manager Amy Maestas, the upcoming workshop reflects the organization’s broader mission of supporting New Mexico’s creative economy and helping artists see a future for themselves in the state.

“What we try to do is, we try to work with New Mexico’s creative economy, because we want that to be built by the people that live here,” says Maestas. “We want to show people that it is possible for you to actually be a creative entrepreneur and take care of yourself and have a retirement and all of that.”

The workshop addresses challenges that many artists face but that traditional financial advice often overlook. While many financial planning resources are geared toward people with steady full-time jobs, artists frequently earn income from multiple sources, including commissions, freelance work, contract jobs and sales.

“I feel like what they don’t typically help with is the diversified streams of income,” says Maestas. “Sometimes financial advice expects you to just work a 9 to 5 and just have one set of W-9’s versus a million different contracts. Or I sold this piece. And so this kind of shows you how to put it all together to make one solid income that makes sense.”

Bates brings years of experience in financial advising and has dedicated much of her work to helping artists better understand financial systems that can often feel overwhelming.

“She specifically wanted to help those people,” says Maestas. “She’s been working with artists for quite a while.”

The workshop will cover topics including understanding credit scores, creating debt repayment plans, saving for retirement, managing fluctuating income and selecting investment structures for self-employed artists. Participants will also hear examples from artists who have built sustainable careers while navigating the financial realities of creative work.

Maestas explains that stronger financial literacy benefits not only individual artists but also the broader creative economy. “If you see that people are aware of what they’re doing and are able to save and make money and make a living out of it, more people are attracted to becoming part of that economy,” says Maestas.

For artists who may feel intimidated by financial topics, Maestas encourages them to give the workshop a chance.

“It sounds really scary, and Tamara makes everything sound so much easier,” says Maestras. “She makes it very, very easy, so you kind of just have to take the plunge.”

Beyond the financial lessons, Arts Hub hopes participants leave with a sense of community and continued support. “It’s a community that we’re kind of all trying to learn all of this together,” says Maestas.

“Building Your Financial Future” will be held virtually via Zoom on June 27 at 2 p.m. MDT. Registration is free and open to the public. Participants can sign up through Arts Hub’s website (abqartshub.com) and will receive the Zoom link after registering.