By Irina

Miami Artists Empower Each Other to Overcome Art Market Slump

Miami Art Marketing Salon, an eclectic group of more than 20 artists, gather weekly for support at Windisch-Hunt Fine Art in Coconut Grove. Questions? Call Irina 786-301-2456

The Art Market is not immune to recession. The Mei Moses Art Index that tracks pricing in the art market, is down 35% for the first quarter of 2009. Many Miami galleries are closing their doors.

But adversity breeds creativity and... leaders. To keep going, Miami artist Debra Cortese launched Miami Art Marketing Salon this month, a biz education and support group for local artists.

The idea was born last year when Cortese, whose trademark is Nature's Energy art, took an online art business course by ArtBiz coach, Alyson Stanfield. 

Stanfield, author of I'd Rather Be In The Studio, the artist's no-excuse guide to self-promotion, designed a concept of a "marketing salon" that offers a blueprint for artists to form a local support group.

The nine-meeting program plan can be downloaded from Stanfield's website, artbizconnection.com, free of charge.

April 7, the day Cortese launched the Miami Art Markting Salon, more than 20 artists showed up at Windisch-Hunt Fine Art Gallery in Coconut Grove. Annamaria Windisch-Hunt, the gallery owner and artist herself, is happy to host this creative group.

Cortese facilitates the salon using the free nine-meeting program plan developed by Alyson Stanfield. The program covers how to set goals, define your art, assess and improve sales opportunities and other important art business topics.

Balloon Artist, Irina Patterson, spotted Cortese's post about the Miami Art Salon on Twitter and joined. "Debra is a perfect example of a leader who turns an adversity into an advantage, Patterson said." If it wouldn't be for her own desire to succeed, these local artists would probably never meet face-to-face. And what an amazing group this is!"

More about the Miami Art Marketing Salon and the artists:
http://debracortese.com/blog/?p=568

More about Alyson Stanfield & Stanfield Art Associates, art marketing consulting firm:
http://www.stanfieldart.com
http://www.artbizconnection.com
http://www.artbizcoach.com
http://www.artbizblog.com

If you are a writer/ reporter who covers arts, social media, arts scene in Miami or South Florida, please contact Irina Patterson, the author of this blog at 786... with any questions. You can also call Irina for Art Event Entertainment bookings.

BUY 1 DAY's WORTH of MY HUSBAND'S NBA PLAY-OFF PICKS

My dad once won a pig at a Farmers Fair lottery. And that's all, as far as winning a game of chance goes for my family. Myself, I never was so lucky as to even get a pig.

I did get a husband, though. After 16 years of marriage, still not sure if that was my luck or otherwise. But I got him. And, as the saying goes, *You'd better flaunt it if you got it* or was it *Do with what you've got?*

But, let me start from the beginning. My husband is what I consider a *normal man.* By that I mean, during the season, sports take front and center in our household.

I like it *normal.* I always can find my husband in same place (front of TV) when the games are played, mostly, all day Saturday & Sunday.

It all began about three years ago. My husband got an idea that he could put to good use those statistic courses he took at Johns Hopkins University when he studied for his Psychology degree.

I am sure his old professors intended him to use those statistics for something like calculating the rates with which the country is falling into depression due to economic crisis. I bet they never imagined that he would use stat analysis to see if the LA Lakers will make the line by -12.

And, so it went for the last three years. I was to record his NFL & NBA picks, as he picked them almost every day for the last three years. All just before the games (no cheating with me) and summing up wins and losses after each day of games.

What can I say... Now, I wish we lived in Las Vegas. After three year of recording my husband's wins & losses, I want to play my husband's NBA picks myself. Legally. In Las Vegas. I want to be able to walk up every day to a sportsbook window and put down my hard earned $$$ on each and every one of my husband's NBA play-off picks.

I wouldn't call it luck, or gambling, or even wagering. I would call it sports futures for lack of better term. I would expect to double my money on his NBA play-offs picks providing I keep my bets same on each bet and never skip a bet. This is what I would do if I could be in Las Vegas every day for the these NBA play-offs.

But as my luck has it, I can't be in Las Vegas now. And that's just that. It is beyond the scope of this listing, why I(we) can't be in Las Vegas. But if you really need to know, you can ask and I might tell.

My point here is I just can't bear that nobody and I mean nobody takes advantage of my husband's NBA play-offs picks. I wish I had friends in Las Vegas that would wager the hell out of my husband's picks, but I(we) don't have any.

So, here you have it. BUY my 1 day's worth of my husband's NBA play-off picks.

This purchase entitles you to forthcoming picks that become available next day after your payment. Best way to get them is via phone or I can e-mail them to you.

Your entertainment is guaranteed. If you are for some reason not happy with the purchase, just e-mail me and you will get your money back. No questions asked.

So, BID with confidence. The winning bidder will get 1 day's worth of NBA play-off picks. You can get it over the phone or e-mail.

So, Click HERE to go eBay and BUY NOW to WIN this auction

As we all know, I can't guarantee that every pick of my husband is a winning pick. But I will go so far to offer a full satisfaction & full money back guarantee for this auction, no questions asked.

Check my feedback and buy with confidence.

YOUR SATISFACTION with this auction is 100% Guaranteed or your money BACK!

So, Click HERE to go eBay and BUY NOW to WIN this auction

Are You Big Enough to Help Someone Become Greater Than Yourself?

Call Irina at 786-301-2456 to discuss your event. Irina will give you an insider view on everything related to your party in South Florida. From hot Miami Beach to elegant Coral Gables, she will nurture and delight you through every step of your event planning. Call or e-mail  Irina now and you'll be on your way to your dream event.

Now, let me tell you a story. A client wrote me a check for her wedding (!) entertainment. The check bounced. The client is from West Palm Beach, Florida. A wealthy, certainly, wealthier than I am. Her new husband is a well connected, self-employed in finance.

I wrote her a letter asking her for what was the matter, and if I can do anything to help her, so she can do good on her check.

She called me back, saying, she was so moved, she cried when she read my letter.

Turned out her husband lost lots of money in the stock market, etc. And she was looking for any job to help ends meet. I told her that I have connections in banking, finance among my Miami wealthy clients and I will make calls for her. I wanted her to be able to pay me!

Long story short. I did help her. She paid me in 3 installments over period of time in cashier checks. With her last check she wrote me a letter, among other nice things saying *I will be a better person now because of this experience.*

The moral of the story: I overheard someone once said “Are You Big Enough to Help Someone Become Greater Than Yourself?” And that is my motto: I feel blessed and big enough to help anyone at all, especially someone who owes me.

It is really great feeling, feeling big. In most cases it cost no more than an hour to research for info, write a letter or make a few phone calls.

If each of us makes an effort to do just that, we all can move on step in the right direction.

I earn my living as balloon artist event entertainer in South Florida. Some people with the right personality can do what I do while looking for a job.

Here are my instructions on how some can earn $100/h as an event entertainer: http://bit.ly/tKGkl Who knows, it might help one or two unemployed.

Call Irina at 786-301-2456 to discuss your event. Irina will give you an insider view on everything related to your party in South Florida. From hot Miami Beach to elegant Coral Gables, she will nurture and delight you through every step of your event planning. Call or e-mail  Irina now and you'll be on your way to your dream event.