The ultimate goal of Artists Thrive is to raise the value of artists in every community. More specifically, it is a set of resources that can guide us, whether artists or those who work with artists (or want to), in fostering the conditions in which artists can thrive. Think of Artists Thrive like a navigation system that helps us see where we are in our work, where we want to go, what is important to measure, and how we can improve. We can shape our future by evaluating where we are today.

There are currently two tools offered by the Artists Thrive initiative, one for artists and one for those who work with artists. The tools can be used in a variety of ways from self-improvement and reflection to advocacy to collaboration. They are meant to be customized, adapted, and applied to many situations to support your work. These tools can also be used again and again as a reference point for measuring how you, your organization, department, community collaboration, partnership, or artist collective is advancing toward your goals over time.

Nope! Artists Thrive is (and will remain) free as an initiative supported by charitable organizations. There is also no requirement to login, create a membership, or otherwise share any information with us. You can use it as your personal coach. There is an option to share your responses with us if you want to contribute to the field’s learning in this area, but it is in no way expected.

Answer: Yes. Your responses are not automatically saved to allow you to use the tool however you like without worrying about how your answers might be used. However, you can save your responses by following links in the survey. We encourage you to create (and save) a new bookmark each time you take the survey allowing you to review your progress over time. You can also share the link with others such as team members, collaborators, or advisors who you would like to discuss your results with.

Not at all. None of the questions are mandatory as every row or category may not be relevant for you right now. Feel free to respond to what you choose and disregard the rest.

Artists Thrive started in 2016 when a group of arts professionals and artists from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation’s community of organizational and higher education grantees began to explore the possibility of a creating an assessment tool for use by the entire field. This led to the first draft of the Artists Thrive tools. What began as a small leadership team of artists and organizers from across the country has become a broad network of collaborators with backbone support from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. Artists and organizations nationwide are now beginning to put these tools to practice and continuing to provide feedback and shape the tools.

The team creating the tools attempted to be as expansive and encompassing as possible when choosing language in the hopes that it would speak to any user. We invite you to customize the tool and substitute other language if these words don’t resonate with you and your individual context (see more below about customizing the tool under Challenge #1). For this reason, rather than defining some of these key words, here is the frame the team had in mind for them:

“Artist”: we had in mind any individual pursuing an artistic discipline intent. Artists who create, perform, and/or engage in art across geography, discipline, expertise, education, age and gender were all intended to be included in this tool. “Community”: we were thinking about the people you would usually discuss this type of thing with, whether online or in person. These could be people who are in close physical proximity to you or your peers worldwide. It’s up to you. "Practice”: we used this term to refer to the way in which an artist goes about creating their work. This goes beyond the physical act of making the work and includes ideas, influences, and processes. “Resources”: this word is intended to encapsulate resources of any type including your time, skills, network, funding, education, and more. “Skills”: similarly, we intended to capture any skill you value, both artistic and non-artistic, to encourage identifying and valuing all of the myriad talents you may have as an individual artist or one who works with artists.

But more importantly, what do these terms mean to you? The tools purposefully do not place constraints on defining who is an “artist” or who makes up your “community.”

Yes! The stories are from peer artists and arts professionals nationwide. Some have been submitted by collaborating organizations, some have been created at artist gatherings, and others were submitted directly. We would love to hear your story about ways you have struggled or thrived with your work as an artist or with artists. There are 2 options for submitting - either typing your story or submitting a video. These buttons can be found on all the story pages.

Start by taking the survey yourself. We also invite you to join our newsletter list to be a part of this growing initiative of diverse people all over the country. You can also find information on this site about organizing and hosting workshops and events in your community.

Absolutely! Please contact us to share more about what you have in mind and make a plan.