Comstock’s reached out to Lennee Eller, interim director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, for her advice on how artists can improve their chances of success. Here’s what she had to say.

1 Be in the know. View opportunities offered by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission for public art commissions, exhibition calls, workshops and jobs by visiting www.sacmetroarts.org and www.arts.ca.gov. With the City of Sacramento investing additional funds into public art, there will be more and more opportunities available.

2 Build a great website. This serves as your resume and portfolio. Put up your best work, and make sure your site looks professional and polished. Also, join artists registries to get your name out there.

3 Research, research, research. Get out of your comfort zone; visit galleries and museums throughout the region. Apply to galleries that show work similar in sensibility to your own. Become knowledgeable about artist rights, copyright law and artist-gallery relationships.

Related: Make It Work

4 Join a collective. Becoming a member of a collective is a great way to network with other professional artists and share resources. Combining all the participants’ contact lists will broaden your audience. Collectives are also an opportunity to trade talents and services: web-design for photography, photography for artwork, artwork for materials and supplies.

5 Embrace your community. For inspiration and support, surround yourself with other artists, visual artists, poets and performing artists who share your passion.