Workshops, Clinics & Special Events

We offer affordable professional development workshops for creatives and arts administrators.

Tuition is waived for those facing financial hardship. Contact us to request a scholarship. Our webinars use Zoom’s automated captions (also known as live transcription) feature. For in-person workshops, American Sign Language interpreters and other reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

STARTING A NONPROFIT: How–and Whether–to Take the Leap
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 9:30am-10:45am – FREE
St. Louis County Library Small Business & Nonprofit Conference – SLCL Clark Family Branch ROOM C (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.)
Presenter: Nathaniel Carroll, Executive Director of VLAA
Launching a nonprofit is a powerful way to serve your community, but it requires a clear understanding of the long-term legal and operational commitments. This session covers the basics of forming a nonprofit corporation in Missouri—including the core pros and cons—and provides you with a detailed guide to gathering the resources needed for your next steps. Part of the St. Louis County Library Small Business & Nonprofit Conference. Registration is encouraged but not required. VLAA and St. Louis County Library sponsor.

ARTISAN vs. ALGORITHM: Protecting Human Artistry vs. Leveraging AI Content
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 12:30pm-1:45pm – FREE
St. Louis County Library Small Business & Nonprofit Conference – SLCL Clark Family Branch ROOM D (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.)
Presented by David S. Kim and Blake Chrismer, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
The rise of generative AI has created significant legal and ethical friction between original creators and entrepreneurs utilizing AI tools to repurpose existing material, style, and likeness. This session examines the evolving landscape of intellectual property, copyright standards, and emerging federal laws concerning digital cloning and commercial replication. Independent artists and performers will learn how to manage and protect their creative work, while businesses will discover the hidden legal liabilities of commercializing AI assets derived from another person’s identity or content.

BANNED BOOKS TRIVIA
Thursday, October 8, 2026 12pm-1pm – FREE
High Noon @ High Low Listening Room (3301 Washington Ave. 63103)
Presented with VLAA and Washington University First Amendment Law Clinic
The week of October 5-9 is Banned Books Week! Join St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) for a special interactive “Banned Books Trivia” presentation and quiz show curated by law students from the Washington University First Amendment Law Clinic. Attendees will learn about the law and history of censorship, book bans, and freedom of expression. Willing audience volunteers will be invited to go head-to-head to test their literary knowledge and win one of several prizes! High Noon is a weekly program by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

LEARN MORE about the High Noon series

WHEN DO I NEED A LAWYER OR ACCOUNTANT?
Thursday, October 15, 2026 12pm-1:15pm – FREE
Online Workshop (via Zoom)
Join this interactive Zoom meeting for a presentation and discussion about the common issues artists face and when to seek out a lawyer or accountant for help. Our volunteers help solve all sorts of arts-related problems for artists, small creative businesses, and arts and cultural nonprofits. Includes instruction/demonstration of submitting a referral application with VLAA online.

DOOR PRIZE ALERT: One lucky registrant who attends the Zoom will be randomly selected to win a pair of free passes to the Museum of Illusions St. Louis!

QUICKBOOKS BASICS FOR NONPROFITS
October 19 and 20, 2026 9am-1pm both days
Anders CPA + Advisors, 800 Market Street, Suite 500 in Downtown STL
$40/person + $15 for additional attendees from the same org
This hands-on two-day training, hosted by Anders CPAs + Advisors, is for arts administrators, volunteers, and nonprofit board treasurers who are new to QuickBooks Online. If you’ve never used QuickBooks Online, and want to test drive it, you can also learn along using a QuickBooks demo link provided by the instructors. You’ll be introduced to bookkeeping basics and learn the most essential QuickBooks tasks. You’ll also receive friendly one-on-one coaching. Free parking will be available. Tuition is $40 per person, and $15 for each additional person from the same organization–this is because there’s great value in learning together!

SALES TAX 101 @ SLICE EXPO 2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026 @ 3pm – FREE TICKETS
The Sheldon (3648 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, 63108)
Speaker: Jessica Seiffert, CMI (Rubin Brown)
St. Louis Independent Comics Expo 2026 returns this Halloween–a celebration of independent comics, artists, and creative community in St. Louis. The expo features art, vendors, and educational programming for artists to level up their careers. At 3pm, VLAA all-star volunteer accountant Jessica Seiffert will give artists and vendors a fast and informative primer on sales tax. What sales are taxable? What sales are exempt? Like, where do I literally send the money? Answers to these questions and more!

This year’s annual SLICE Expo kicks off the evening of October 30, and the Expo runs 10am-5pm on Saturday. Costumes not required but encouraged and celebrated. The event is free, but tickets are required and available through the button below.

GET FREE TICKETS TO SLICE EXPO 2026

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 @ 7pm-11pm – $30 Tickets
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (3750 Washington Blvd., Grand Center)
For one night only, CAM transforms into an elevated Halloween experience — music, style, and a room full of creatives playing after dark. Featuring $OL, PBnJeffy, Naybahood, Big Esco, and more. Limited tickets are available. VLAA community engagement volunteers will be on site providing artist support. Costumes are encouraged, and a Costume Crown awaits the best-dressed.

BUY TICKETS TO NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

ACCIDENTAL ARTS ADMINISTRATOR
Monday and Tuesday, November 9-10, 2026 – 4pm-6pm both days
Metro Theater Company, 3311 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, 63103
$40 for first registrant + $15 for each additional registrant from your organization
For current and future nonprofit leaders, founders, directors, board members, or the intellectually curious, this crash course equips attendees with the tools and concepts needed to operate any arts and cultural nonprofit.
*Day 1 (November 9) covers formation, fundraising, marketing, budgeting, and board governance.
*Day 2 (November 10) is a hands-on session to help tune up or create your nonprofit’s mission statement, strategic roadmap, and action items to keep your org moving forward.
Participants receive a binder with the program curriculum, as well as other digital resources including sample financial documents, strategy screen, bylaws, and a free VLAA t-shirt! Registration is $40 for the first person from your organization, and only $15 for each additional attendee. This is because attendees will get the most out of the program by collaborating with a colleague.

EVERY ARTIST INSURED: Changes to Missouri Medicaid in 2027
Monday, November 12, 2026 – 1pm-2:15pm – FREE
Online via Zoom (Registration Required)
VLAA believes every artist deserves access to affordable healthcare. We also know that options are limited for low and middle income artists in Missouri, some artists are able to enroll in Medicaid. This presentation covers Medicaid eligibility basics for potential and existing Medicaid recipients, and explains some important changes to the eligibility criteria coming in 2027. The information in this webinar has been prepared by Cover Missouri and the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Free for anyone to register and attend.

Trademark Issues for Creatives: Costly Mistakes Worth Avoiding
Thursday, November 17, 2026 12:00pm-1:15pm CST
Free Zoom webinar (Registration Required)
Co-Presented by VLAA and Lawyers for the Creative Arts (Chicago)
Join VLAA and our Chicago cousins Lawyers for the Creative Arts for a special joint webinar highlighting the expensive and common mistakes artists and creative businesses encounter in the federal trademark schema. Save money and time by learning what words, logos, and phrases are eligible for trademark before you pay trademark application fees! Trademark attorney Joey Vitale of Indie Law LLC will present a dynamic and engaging program you won’t want to miss.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Workshops, Clinics & Special Events

We offer affordable professional development workshops for creatives and arts administrators.

Events in October 2026