My career as a professional visual artist and art consultant began when I first studied visual art and someone wanted to purchase a sculpture that I made when I was a student. My father told the person that the sculpture was not for sale. Many years later, I gave away the sculpture. While, I was a student, I also began exhibiting my art work and participated in an art competition.
The business in the arts requires to know how to market yourself as a professional visual artist. I have been marketing myself as a professional visual artist for over 25 years. As a professional visual artist and art consultant, I have written contracts, invoices, grant proposals, visual artist resumes, visual artist statements, business cards, created and designed visual artist newsletters, brochures,websites, blogs, and flyers. As a result, each of these strategies that I have implemented before the pandemic began has provided me the opportunity to work with a diverse set of people as a professional visual artist.
I had the opportunity to work in many museums and art galleries in the past. Some of them include: The New Harlem Gallery (1992-1993) and the Phillips Collection (2000). Additionally, I have provided services for the Anacostia Art Gallery and Boutique from 2010 - 2011 and exhibited my artwork widely throughout the East Coast at such places as Emma Mae Gallery (Washington, DC), The New Harlem Gallery (New York City, New York), Wisteria ArtSpace (New York City, New York), Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), Market 5 Gallery (Washington, DC), and The Phillips Collection (Washington, DC) were just to name a few.
Rhythms of Life. Acrylic painting on canvas. 2005. Afrika Abney