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The Business of Art

Twelfth graders learn the business side of being an artist — copyright, pricing, commissions, contracts, and promotion — the professional practices that let creative work become a sustainable career.

Grade 12Professional Practice55 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Understand copyright.
  • ✓Price & sell work.
  • ✓Use contracts.
  • ✓Promote yourself.
Essential Question

Making art is one thing — making a living from it is another. What business skills does a professional artist need?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Business of Art Explorer

Project this and tap each topic. Have students learn the business side of being an artist.

💼 Explore the business of art — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Look · Explore · Create · Share · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Look — Make a Living

6 min

Making art is one thing — making a living from it is another. What skills?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show an artist’s website.
  • Ask how they earn.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Business of Art

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Business of Art Explorer.
  • Note copyright.
  • Note contracts.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note them.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

15 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Price a sample piece.
  • Draft a commission agreement.
  • Plan promotion.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Price it.
  • Draft it.
  • Plan it.
4

Share — Share

13 min

Students share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Share a pricing idea.
  • Explain a contract.
  • Give feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Explain.
  • Feedback.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a business topic.
  • Explain copyright.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts, HS Advanced).

NCAS
VA:Cn11.1.HSIII

Understand art in society and economy.

NCAS
VA:Cn10.1.HSIII

Connect art to career.

NCAS
VA:Cn11.2.HSIII

Understand professional practice.

NCAS
VA:Pr6.1.HSIII

Present and promote work.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Business-topic cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ helps an artist ___.”
  • Use real examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with copyright and promotion.
  • Use one example.
  • Name one topic.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Build a pricing formula.
  • Write a simple contract.
  • Make a promotion plan.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 💼Sample contracts
  • 💻The Business of Art Explorer
  • 📱An artist website
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

copyrightownership of your creative workpricingsetting fair pricescommissioncustom work for a clientcontracta written agreementpromotionsharing your workportfolioa showcase of workfreelanceself-employed worklicensingpermission to use art
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Who owns the copyright to art you create?
You do — automatically; others need permission to use it.
QUESTION 2
What is a commission?
Making custom work for a client, with a clear agreement.
QUESTION 3
Why use a contract?
A written agreement protects both the artist and the client.

Reflect: art as a business.

Have students name two business skills a professional artist needs and why. A printable business sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 The Business of ArtFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 The Business of ArtQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ The Business of ArtPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: commission, contract, copyright, freelance, licensing, portfolio, pricing, promotion
  1. a written agreement
  2. sharing your work
  3. self-employed work
  4. a showcase of work
  5. ownership of your creative work
  6. custom work for a client
  7. permission to use art
  8. setting fair prices

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Who owns the copyright to art you create?
  2. What is a commission?
  3. Why use a contract?
Answer key — Part A: 1) contract · 2) promotion · 3) freelance · 4) portfolio · 5) copyright · 6) commission · 7) licensing · 8) pricing
Part B: 1) You do — automatically; others need permission to use it. 2) Making custom work for a client, with a clear agreement. 3) A written agreement protects both the artist and the client.