Bethann Steiner, Senior Director of Public Affairs
Mass Cultural Council is excited to announce that a new Arts Entrepreneurship course is available on MITx, offering artists and creatives a professional development opportunity to help them build financially sustainable careers while staying true to their creative vision.
MITx is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) online learning initiative, delivering courses created by MIT faculty to learners around the world through digital platforms.
This free course features 12 modules and practical exercises designed to equip artists with business skills, and to advance their ability to strategically and sustainably generate revenue through their creative work.
Class begins on March 25, 2026 and runs through June 25, 2026.
Participants will learn best practices in:
- Identifying markets
- Packaging content
- Distributing work
- Developing successful business models
Additional topics include:
- Pricing strategies
- Marketing and promotion
- Measuring success
- Building balanced budgets
- Fundraising strategies
- Team building
- Effective use of technology
Coursework is instructor-paced, meaning students will experience guided learning with a set schedule and specific due dates for assignments and exams. It is estimated that students will devote 12 weeks, 10-20 hours per week, to successfully complete the course. It is available to all artists worldwide.
The Arts Entrepreneurship course was developed in partnership with Professor Jenny Larios Berlin, Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and Entrepreneur in Residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and Dr. Ben Shields, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. 4:3 Collective, founded in Massachusetts by Bryan Sih and Yahna Harris, provided creative direction on the course.
Register for a March 20 info session featuring the course instructors.
There is no registration fee or tuition cost; however, participants may pay a nominal fee to obtain a certificate of completion from MITx.
Students can live anywhere in the world and learn with MITx, but Mass Cultural Council is focused on encouraging Massachusetts artists and creative individuals to register for this learning opportunity.