Artist Resource Collective LA WEST

Join us in Los Angeles!

Artist Resource Collective LA West is a free, community-centered gathering by Artist Resource Collective designed for artists and creatives to build sustainable, informed, and connected lives. The event features practical finance workshops alongside access to a legal café and other resource providers offering guidance on the real-life challenges artists face.

Beyond the workshops, Artist Resource Collective LA West is a space to connect — over shared food, art, and conversation. Whether you're seeking tools, support, or simply community, this event invites you to engage, learn, and grow within a network grounded in care and collective sustainability.

This project was made possible in part with Art of Recovery support from the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs and Ouow Studio.

Artist Resource Collective (ARC) is an artist-designed program powered by YoungArts that focuses on artist sustainability and knowledge-building. It currently offers free virtual and live workshops on personal finance, business structures, contracts, taxes, grant writing, legal issues, and intellectual property. ARC is made possible through generous funding from Chloe Berkowitz and the Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation, as well as contributions from Black Family Philanthropies and Hearst Foundations.

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By signing up for this event, you agree to receive emails from the City of Santa Monica, Recreation and Arts Department.

We are also doing an event on Sunday at Now Instant Image Hall!

Sunday Eventbrite

Feel free to join us Saturday and/or Sunday.

Info: Money doesn’t have to be a mystery. This workshop is designed specifically for artists, performers and creative professionals who want to build a more sustainable financial life without losing sight of their artistic values. Participants will learn practical strategies for managing the ebbs and flows of freelance and project-based income, setting goals that align with their values and cultivating confidence around money. We’ll demystify the basics of personal finance—banking, budgeting, saving and planning—while exploring how these tools can support your creative practice rather than limit it.

Info: Cara will lead a practical contracts workshop for artists and creatives, focused on when to use which type of agreement. The session will cover common contract types—such as NDAs, consignment, licensing, and collaborations—and how to choose the right structure for different situations. Cara will also highlight key, heavily negotiated clauses, including payment, scope, intellectual property, termination, and liability, so attendees know where to focus their attention. In addition, the workshop will explore less obvious “contracts,” like emails, invoices, and online terms, that can still create binding obligations. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach contracts with confidence and protect their work.

Info: Social Resources for Artists Workshop: When it comes to being successful, most artists have heard someone say, "It's who you know." Knowing people helps move things along. Because of this, an artist's network is one of their greatest assets. It connects them with resources, power, and opportunities to share, validate, and sell their work.
In this workshop, Virginia Broersma (artist and founder of The Artist’s Office) will talk about how artists can develop meaningful relationships (their social resources) with authenticity and intention to grow their career. Virginia loves practical applications of big ideas and will share tools artists can use today. Time will also be dedicated to discussion, troubleshooting, and knowledge sharing.

Info: "If You Don't Ask, The Answer is Always No"
Artists need things and the resources exist. Most artists and creatives just don't know how to find them. Or they're paralyzed by the asking — worried they'll look unprofessional, bother someone, or expose that they don't have it all figured out. But here's the thing: asking is a skill, not a character flaw. And confidence isn't about knowing everything. It's about knowing you can figure it out.
This workshop also tackles reciprocity — a concept Sharon Louden champions in her work supporting artists. It's not just about what you need. It's about what you can give. Community functions on exchange. You help install someone's show, they connect you with their fabricator. You share a grant opportunity, someone shares their accountant who actually understands artist taxes. The stronger the network of give-and-take, the better everyone's work becomes.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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