Digital Toolkit

This “digital swag bag” is a collection of promotions and one-on-one virtual office hours specially designed to take what you’ve learned and turn it into action.

Office Hours - Part 1

Our virtual office hours offer 15 minute free consultations for creatives to talk one-on-one with an expert to receive personalized advice on specific topics.

Rio Grande (Sponsor) Mark Nelson, Education Coordinator

10:30am - ▶︎ Foundations of Business: What is Your Plan and Why an LLC? Webinar Erika Tapp Duran, Temple SBDC

12:00pm - ◉ Design Thinking and Prototyping: An Artist Perspective Webinar Caroline Gore & Marc DiGiaimo, NextFab

2:00pm - ▶︎ Taxes for Creators and Artists Webinar Hannah Cole, Sunlight Tax School

3:30pm - ❑ Triple Bottom Line: Entrepreneurship with a Purpose Webinar Danielle Ruttenberg, Remark Glass and Kimberly McGlonn, Grant BLVD

Rio Grande

Mark Nelson, Education Coordinator

Mark Nelson is an award-winning metalsmith, jeweler and self-described “dabbler in everything.” He studied jewelry metals as an undergrad at Northern Arizona University and later received his M.F.A. in Jewelry/Metals from Texas Tech University. A former member of the national guard, Mark has taught many metalsmithing, soldering, stone-setting and flex-shaft classes at universities, community colleges and on-site at Rio Grande. Understanding the fun and challenges involved in teaching, Mark offers his expertise to the Rio For Schools program in support of educating our future generations.

For nearly 80 years, Rio Grande has supported the art and industry of jewelry-making with a one-stop selection backed by exemplary service, technical expertise and educational support. As a wholesale provider, Rio Grande offers unmatched quality in its breadth of products and services, and competitive pricing for professional jewelry makers and educators. If you are just getting started, Rio for Schools is ideal for students looking to take advantage of wholesale benefits while enrolled in Rio for Schools partnering classes. Through this program, every student has access to the products and services they need to develop the skills and techniques required for a career in jewelry-making. Whether you own a business or are interested in the wholesale program, Rio Grande is the partner for you! Learn more about how your education program could join Rio for Schools.

Book a consultation

12:00pm - Design Thinking and Prototyping: An Artist Perspective Webinar
Caroline Gore, Jewelry Artist & Marc DiGiaimo, NextFab

◉ Tools for Creatives

This conversation between Caroline Gore and Marc DiGiaimo will focus on design processes, getting out of your own status quo procedures, and how to start getting something done. Allowing time to work through and play with material creates its potential as well as something to react against.

Caroline Gore’s studio practice is deeply rooted in jewelry and metalsmithing processes centered on investigations of site and the direct and often indirect relationships we have to place through experience and remembering. She maintains a studio in Northeast Philadelphia at the Crane Arts Building and is represented by Gallery Loupe located in Montclair New Jersey.

Marc DiGiaimo is a teacher, fabricator, and technician currently Wood Processes Manager at NextFab. He thrives in collaborative environments delving into ideas, finding solutions, learning at every opportunity.

2:00pm - Taxes for Creators and Artists Webinar
Hannah Cole, Sunlight Tax School

▶︎ Tools in Business

Hannah Cole of Sunlight Tax School will be delivering a high-level understanding of key tax concepts including the basic tax equation, self-employment issues, the estimated quarterly tax system, and The Schedule C - what it is, who it’s for, and how to use it. Other arts-specific tax concerns, with a focus on artist empowerment, will include the artist stereotype and how it plays into an audit situation, what people can do to be prepared and counteract it, and the importance of running one’s creative enterprise as a business.