Art Café: Kickstarting the Year and Setting Artistic Goals
Wednesday, 14th January, 2pm to 3pm (online)
Free for VAA members and non-members – booking essential

Start the new year with direction and purpose. In this Art Café session, we will look at how artists can set clear, achievable goals that support both their creative development and long-term professional growth. This conversation will offer practical guidance on planning your year, staying motivated, and building habits that nurture your artistic practice.

Join us as we explore effective approaches to structuring your ambitions, maintaining momentum, and creating a framework that allows your practice to flourish.

Guest Speakers

Francesca Busca – Artist
Francesca is an eco-artist whose practice sits at the intersection of art, activism and environmental advocacy. Since 2017 she has pioneered a unique form of waste-based mosaic, transforming discarded materials into intricate “trashure” artworks that highlight the urgency of rethinking our relationship with consumption and value.

Working exclusively with reclaimed waste, she creates pieces that blend beauty with environmental commentary, using each tessera as a protest against disposable culture. Her work is driven by a belief in art as a universal language capable of inspiring empathy, systemic change and cross-community collaboration. Through her approach, Francesca challenges traditional artistic and economic models, presenting sustainability not just as a theme but as a lived, holistic practice.

Website | Instagram 

Rebecca J. White – Artist
Rebecca is an American painter whose work merges 25 years of dedicated studio practice with visual motifs inspired by electronic circuitry. Her compositions explore how physical and unseen connections shape shared culture, technology and human experience.

Originally trained in ceramics, Rebecca discovered her lifelong commitment to painting while living in Kyoto, a period that deeply influenced her aesthetic sensibility. She later completed MFA training at the Tokyo University of the Arts and has since continued to develop her practice across Japan and Italy. Drawing on this international background, her work weaves together cultural references, technical precision and a nuanced understanding of visual systems.

Website | Instagram 

Shirley-Ann O’Neill 
Shirley-Ann is the founder of the VAA and a director with over two decades of experience supporting artists. She is the co-author of Good Art Does Not Sell Itself and Securing Representation, and has curated exhibitions featured by major media outlets including BBC and Sky News. Shirley-Ann leads the VAA’s professional development programmes, helping artists progress with confidence and clarity.

Laura O’Hare 
Laura is a co-founder of the VAA and leads on artistic and business development. With extensive experience working with artists, galleries and arts organisations, she directs the Visual Art Open Prize and the Professional Artist Award. Her background as a solicitor informs her strategic approach in supporting artists to advance their careers.

This session is ideal for artists at any stage who want to begin the year with intention and build a strong foundation for their creative and professional progress.

Please ensure you book your place in advance. For any problems or questions, just email us at events@visual-artists.org