Artists, artisans, crafters and writers gathered at Bracebridge Rotary Centre for Youth Thursday for the second annual Muskoka Artists’ Forum: Marketing and Promoting Your Art.

Hosted by the Muskoka Enterprise Centre and the Arts Council of Muskoka, the forum featured tips and ideas to help artists and entrepreneurs promote and sell their work.

The event began with visual artist and expressive arts facilitator Elke Scholz leading a warm-up session to stimulate creative thinking.

Keynote speaker Paul Portelli told of the importance of people working together to make a community known as an artistic destination. A working sculptor, Portelli has been an instructor in visual arts and business departments at Sir Sanford Fleming College, Durham College, Seneca College and Ryerson University. He shared practical ideas on how artists and other complementary businesses can work together to develop and implement joint marketing campaigns, sharing his own experiences from his sculpting gallery in Trent Hills.

A discussion titled Cost Effective Promotions was led by Rhondi Peacock of Innovative Designs and Promotions.

Scholz, Beverlie Robertson, singer, songwriter and author, and Jim Brown, creator of functional stoneware pottery, led a panel discussion and shared how they have marketed their artistic abilities.

Those attending were en­couraged by the organizers to complete their survey forms to help determine the content of next year’s event.