Meet Sarah Benvenuti of Benvenuti Arts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Benvenuti. 

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out as an artist myself—I’m a vocalist and a pianist. My passion for music at a young age inspired me to earn my bachelor’s degree in music education. While I maintained a love for learning and the arts, when I reached my senior year, I realized that I didn’t want to be a teacher. I loved music, and the truth was, I was a perfectly adequate musician, so performing wouldn’t have been the right choice either. I was considering earning a master’s degree in music theory when a conversation with one of my professors changed my career course. I shared my thoughts with him on where I’d like to go in my career, and he said, “Sarah, you like people, right?” I said, “Yes, I do.” 

And he said, “Then you can’t become a music theorist—you’ll never talk to people again. It’s an anti-social existence. You should look into arts management.” 

I had never heard of arts management as a career path, and then, (in 2004), there wasn’t a lot of information available online about it. There weren’t too many schools that offered master’s programs in arts management, but Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), in my hometown of Pittsburgh, offered the program. It seemed like a perfect fit, and history would prove that indeed it was. 

Over the years, as can happen in many careers, I realized that the bigger my title got, the further away I was from the actual art and artists. I missed that early experience of working directly with independent artists and feeling as though I was really making a difference for them. It was then that I set out on my own and began freelancing for individual artists and very small arts organizations. It became clear rather quickly that there was a significant need in the arts world for consultants who can mentor, advise, and coach the smallest organizations and individual artists in whatever their unique goals and challenges are, for a fee that was actually affordable to them. That drove me to create Benvenuti Arts—a business model that allows anyone to access those services regardless of the level of income they get from their art or their organization. 

Additionally, my entire life, I’ve had a deep curiosity about the world. This wanderlust took shape as constant moves across the country and back for about a decade, but I found myself, more and more, scraping together any time off I could to travel more. When I lived in Denver, I had a boyfriend who decided to try the digital nomad life. I had no idea what that was at the time, but I wanted it! I figured I was in the wrong industry though: how do you make theater work digital? 

When I decided to go out on my own, I decided I wanted to dip my toe into that world. It was the best decision of my life. I’ve been living as a digital nomad in some capacity for 8 years now, with 3 years when I was fully nomadic. I have met the most amazing people and seen places I had only dreamed of. I walked the Camino de Santiago, stayed overnight in a manga cafe in Tokyo, visited the Weta Workshop in New Zealand, drank wine in Chile, and so much more. It’s been the best decision of my life, and shapes how I live and run my business. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m very lucky to have an amazing support system of friends and family all over the world, so even when it’s hard, I know I have people to turn to. 

For example, when I hit the wall at my last job and was scared about going out on my own, my mom asked me “what’s the worst thing that could happen?” 

I thought about it and said, “I run out of money and have to move home,” to which she replied, “that’s not so bad, is it?” And she was right. That was a hard period, and I had never seen myself starting a business before, but she gave me the courage and support to try. 

I also have a long history with depression, which can really derail me sometimes. I’ve learned, over the years, what I need to do to manage it, but it can still pack a wallop. During the first year of COVID, I was surprised to feel myself handling it fairly well. But, like so many people I know, I definitely felt that pandemic fatigue, come late 2021. Add to that the fact that interest in my business exploded in 2021 and we were growing faster than I ever imagined, and I just lost myself in work and isolation. While friends and family lent the support I needed, I am so SO grateful for my teammate, Alicia, who was my assistant at the time and my first other full-time staff. After a month of struggling, I finally pulled her in, and she stepped up in a way I could never have imagined. It really taught me that being vulnerable is not a weakness, and to make space for each of us to be whole people at Benvenuti Arts. We’ll figure out the work. Our health and life come first. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Benvenuti Arts provides professional expertise in fundraising and management to the organizations and artists creating the most exciting, innovative art out there. We work with clients no matter the size, and we adapt our work to fit their unique circumstances. 

I started Benvenuti Arts in 2014 for a couple of reasons. First, I was so frustrated with the fact that the arts industry rewards the biggest organizations and most famous artists, even if they are not creating the most exciting work. I’ve always loved art that existed on the fringes: theater in tiny basement spaces, immersive visual arts experiences in nontraditional spaces, dance that made the viewer uncomfortable. Additionally, some of the best work I saw was being created by community-based artists who couldn’t afford grant writers or marketing, or representation. I had worked in fundraising and administration for theater and dance for a decade, and I thought, maybe, I could bring what I knew to those artists and small groups, making their work just a little easier. I wanted to push back against unreasonable rules that foundations put on artists and get money into the hands of those that, to me, were having the most direct impact in the world. 

Second, after seeing so much toxicity and bad behavior at bigger organizations in the industry, I just didn’t want to do this work on behalf of bad actors anymore. It’s unreasonable to ask people to work for no money just because they love the project. Not only does this culture of scarcity allow for many at the top of organizations to take advantage of those at the bottom (I once knew an Executive Director and Artistic Director who were both paid over $150K, who shared an assistant who only made $28K – in New York City!), but it also puts up incredible roadblocks for anyone who does not have family wealth to fall back on, meaning BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and disabled artists are too often left out of the work. I wanted to create a place where we could do values-based work, but be paid fairly, exist as whole people with lives outside of work, and do our best to right some of the wrongs perpetuated by the industry. 

I think this sets us apart in the industry. Not only are we driven by values – we will decline a client if they have demonstrated that they cannot or will not do the work to be better – but we never turn down a client due to their small size. We have worked with hundreds of independent artists and small organizations across the country, from a singer with a budget of $2,000 who is providing free choral training, to a $2 Million organization serving BIPOC artists and creative entrepreneurs. Whether it’s grant writing, administrative planning, financial management, or more, we provide all of the back-of-house needs to support their work. 

And we do this by staying true to our values. My entire team works mainly remotely. They are scattered across the USA and internationally in Italy and Berlin. We have flexible work hours, and, not to sound pretentious, a more European standard of full-time, vacations, and holidays. We are constantly learning, and my team holds me to our highest standards so that we actually do what we say. It’s not always easy, but I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. 

We provide free 30-minute intro calls to anyone who is interested and primarily work with arts and culture organizations and independent artists. We’d love to meet more of you in the Los Angeles area. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I come from a big Italian immigrant family on both sides. My grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated to Pittsburgh from around Italy in the first half of the 20th century and found there a huge Italian community. Growing up in that world, I was surrounded by food and laughter and shouting, and love. 

My favorite memories stem from there, in particular my dad’s family’s annual Christmas Eve celebration: the Feast of the Seven Fishes. This Italian American tradition is centered around seven fish or seafood dishes, but that’s just the excuse to get together and party. 

In my memories of those nights, it seemed like every Italian in Pittsburgh was in my Nonni’s house. They had a finished basement with a wood-paneled bar, which was always well-stocked, and tables lining the room. Everyone dressed to the nines, and I can see my Nonni, with red lipstick, perfectly coiffed hair, and a Manhattan in her hand, working the room and managing the food. Our family were chefs and bakers and basement-wine makers, so the spread was always incredible. It was loud and chaotic, and I could never remember the names of all the great-aunts and cousins…and it was the best night of the year, hands down. 

We still have this party today. My Nonni recently passed away at 99, and my aunts are getting older, so my cousin and I are taking over this year. We rent a hall now, and over 80 of my “closest” relations show up, where we exchange gifts, play cards, find out who’s having babies this year, and stuff ourselves with dishes like my uncle’s anchovy pasta. It’s still one of my favorite nights of the year, and I hope it is for the rest of my life. 

Pricing:

• Free 30-minute intro call for artists and arts organizations
• Membership runs from $25/month to $250/month
• Fundraising or Administrative Planning starts at $2,500
• Grant Writing Services start at $150

Contact Info:

• Website: www.benvenutiarts.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benvenutiarts