Artists & Managers: What makes the Partnership Work

What Artists Need From Managers, And Managers Need From Artists

Over the past nine years, ArtSpire has worked closely with artists across disciplines, supporting them with management, marketing, strategy, project development and career decisions. From our experience we have seen that effective artist management is much more than managing projects or getting things done. It is about understanding the artist, their practice and ambitions, while bringing the perspective, experience and thinking needed to support their journey.

Both artists and managers bring different expectations to the relationship, and many of these are not always explicitly discussed. The following reflections draw from our experience of working with artists. They are not meant as a formula, but as questions to pause and reflect on - what do artists need their managers to understand, and what do managers need their artists to understand?

What Artists Need Their Managers to Understand?

1. An understanding of the practice behind the work

It is not enough for a manager to know what an artist does. A deeper understanding comes from knowing how they think about their art, the ideas and influences that shape their work, their artistic philosophy, the questions they are exploring, the choices they make and the way they approach their practice. Over time, this understanding allows a manager to see not just the work that exists today, but the thinking and intention behind it, and where the artist may want to take it next.

2. An understanding of the person behind the artist

The practice cannot be separated entirely from the person. Understanding an artist also means understanding how they work, how they use their time, what their days look like, what else they may be balancing and what matters to them beyond their practice.

It means understanding their working and communication styles, how they make decisions, what pressures they may be navigating, what they are comfortable with and where they may need boundaries or support.

These may seem like small details, but they can significantly shape how an artist works and what kind of management they need. While the relationship between an artist and manager is a professional one, knowing the person behind the practice is essential to knowing how best to work with them.

3. An understanding of where the artist is headed

Understanding an artist also means understanding their goals, ambitions and the direction they want their practice to take. What are they hoping to build? Where do they see themselves going? What does success mean to them?

The answers provide the context within which a manager can understand opportunities, have meaningful conversations and think about decisions in the larger context of the artist’s career.

4. A manager who thinks with the artist, not just executes for them

A manager’s role goes beyond carrying out what an artist asks them to do. When they understand the artist’s practice, ambitions and direction, they can actively think alongside them - suggesting ideas, identifying possibilities, making connections, exploring new opportunities and sometimes bringing a perspective the artist may not have considered.

The value of a manager is not just in making things happen, but in thinking about what could happen next.

5. A trusted sounding board

Artists make countless decisions, some large, some small, and many with no obvious right answer. Having someone with whom they can think aloud, question an idea, discuss a concern or simply work through a difficult decision can be invaluable.

A manager does not necessarily need to have all the answers. Sometimes, the value lies in asking the right questions, offering another perspective and creating the space for an artist to arrive at their own decision.

What Artists Need Their Managers to Understand

1. Management is more than execution

A manager is not simply there to carry out instructions. They bring their own experience, ideas, relationships, networks and perspective to the relationship. When given the context and space to contribute, a manager can do much more than execute decisions - they can help shape ideas, identify possibilities, make connections and think through what could come next.

The strongest relationships allow for that exchange, with the artist and manager thinking, creating and building together, rather than one simply giving instructions and the other executing them.

2. A manager is an extension of the artist’s team

A manager may be an external professional, but the relationship works best when they function as an extension of the artist’s team, not an outsider brought in simply to execute.

The work is not just about timelines and tasks; it involves thinking, creating, questioning and contributing to the artist’s larger direction.

3. Building a career is a shared process

Building an artist’s career is not something that sits entirely with the artist while the manager simply executes what is decided. The work is collaborative, with both working towards the same larger goals.

Managers are not only there to implement ideas that come from the artist; they also bring ideas, perspectives, possibilities and opportunities to the table. The relationship works best when there is a sense of shared ownership - thinking together, creating together and figuring out what comes next together.

4. Trust the manager’s perspective, even when it is different

A manager will not always see things in exactly the same way as the artist - and that difference can be valuable. A manager brings a different perspective, along with their own experience, knowledge and understanding of the wider ecosystem. That perspective is part of the value they bring to the relationship. There will be moments when they may question an idea, suggest a different approach or see an opportunity that the artist has not considered.

Trust does not mean always agreeing; it means creating enough space for different perspectives to be heard and discussed openly.

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