Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies and NYFA to Offer Five Free Professional Development Workshops

Over the past four years, Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA)—ArtsFairfax, Arlington Cultural Affairs Office, and the City of Alexandria Office of the Arts—has partnered with national nonprofit arts service organization New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) to deliver a series of virtual professional development workshops targeted at empowering artists, performers, and creatives.

Since its inception, this collaborative initiative has offered 18 programs reaching an impressive 12,565 participants across the region and beyond, providing them with practical tools, strategies, and insights to support their creative careers.

From November 2026-March 2027, the partnership will continue with five free professional development workshops:

Artists and the Law: Protecting Your Work in the Age of AI - November 12, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET
Nonprofit Financial Literacy - January 14, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET,
Crafting Your Creative Identity: Branding for Artists & Administrators - February 11, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Expanding Your Organization's Funding Landscape - March 4, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Fund Your Art: Strategic Revenue Diversification for Creatives - March 18, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
In response to attendee feedback, this year's sessions will alternate focus between artists and arts administrators. While each session highlights unique tools and strategies for one group, the core content is designed to deliver immediate value to both audiences.

Those interested may RSVP at the links above, with additional links and details forthcoming from NVLAA and NYFA. Past programs addressed a wide spectrum of professional development needs, including:

Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls
Storytelling: Communicating Your Impact
Marketing Strategies for Artists and Creatives
Build Your Fundraising Toolkit
Public Art and Creative Placemaking: Activating Nontraditional Spaces
The artists attending these programs represented a wide variety of disciplines, a breakdown of which can be seen here: