The "Artists Mean Business" employment development program allows artists across a continuum of abilities, skills, and experience to take career education and small business development courses as a way of promoting and encouraging them to compete more effectively in Hawai‘i’s diverse workforce, particularly in the creative industries.
Throughout the course of the year, the “Artists Mean Business” program assists artists with disabilities in developing the cognitive and social skills necessary for employment as well as helping them to understand the elements of creating and running a business in the artistic field. New to the initiative is the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, which gives artists who are eligible for SSDI, SSI, and Medicaid information education on how to work, or own a business, and maintain benefits. Students are also given real life opportunities to put what they learn into practice by participating in fairs, festivals, conferences, and doing job seeking and career shadowing.
In addition to the education provided, we are giving artists with disabilities who show a dedication to their art the chance to serve and receive training as educators, allowing them to develop new skills and to earn an income through art. Most of the teaching professionals who run the Artists Mean Business classes are themselves artist with disabilities looking to share their knowledge and experiences.
Program partners of the Artists Mean Business program include: The Department of Education, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, member organizations of the Hawai‘i Consortium for the Arts, local art, self-employment, and disability advocates and professionals, the Department of Health, the University of Hawai‘i, the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, the statewide Small Business Development Center Network, the Pacific Business Center, One-Stop Centers on the Big Island, Oahu, and Maui, and the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant.