Teaching art classes can be an extremely rewarding practice for any artist to pick up and do in their free time. Whether you are doing it for some extra income, for fun, or for a new experience, it is important to understand that in order to be successful you need to have and maintain a steady flow of students. The question is how do students find you and start coming to your classes. The following tips should get you started in your student recruitment process.

Talk with Current Students

Ask what types of art classes they would be interested in. By creating this open relationship with your students you can ask them if they have any friends who are interested in art. If they do you can have a bring a friend to class day and offer a discounted class for anyone whose friend signs up to keep coming to class. If your students are really young you can discuss and explain this with their parents.  

Advertise

Ask local schools, libraries, shops, or anywhere that may have potential students as customers, visitors, or attendants, if you could hang posters there. Use this opportunity to create and hang amazing personalized posters. Create ones that will attract but also inform. You can also take a more current route and advertise online through Craigslist or social media.

Talk to Teachers

Teachers at local schools will have a great idea of which of their students could be interested in an extra art class or lesson outside of school. Teachers can also inform their students about what you offer.

Host a Visitor Artist

Host artists from the community to come in and teach a class or series of classes. You can advertise this special event, saying how you love to offer unique opportunities such as this to your students. If people feel like they are getting something they can not get other places they will be more likely to join in on your lessons or classes for a fun new experience they can’t get anywhere else. You can also ask that the visiting artist post on their social media about them coming in to your classes. This will let their followers know about you and how you offer both regular art classes and special event art classes. Don’t forget to let the media know if you host an artist, or have another event going on. You can also send images and a written piece into your area’s paper or send a press release before the event. Both of these methods are highly advised when holding events or visitors because stories like these have front page potential when the artist is high profile. This is a great advocacy tool to promote your practice and arts in general. If you really showcase how these events are helping the community and the children within the community you could get an amazing response or even funding to host more well known artists or bigger events.

Check Out Continuing Education 

Many school districts or BOCES groups offer continuing education for adults. These programs may need an artist to come in and help out with certain programs or may direct their students to take your private classes if they are interested in the arts.

Conclusion

If parents feel their children are getting a unique, beneficial experience from you classes, they will be more likely to keep their kids enrolled, and encourage other parents to enroll their children. It is important to constantly advertise yourself through the web and local resources, and to always talk about what you do and offer without being pushy. The more your name gets out there the more success you will have. 

Sources:

https://www.theartofed.com/2015/05/15/6-proven-strategies-to-recruit-students-for-your-program/

https://www.theartofed.com/2014/08/08/50-ways-to-make-art-class-a-valued-part-of-your-community-3/