Creative Partnerships & Business Development Manager | Art, Music & Live Entertainment

Creative Partnerships & Business Development Manager | Art, Music & Live Entertainment
About the Opportunity
Contemporary visual artist Sarah Kraning is seeking an experienced, well-connected Creative Partnerships & Business Development Manager to develop high-value opportunities spanning contemporary fine art, music, live entertainment, and brand collaborations.
Sarah’s work translates music into visual art through synesthesia, creating vibrant abstract paintings inspired by the colors, shapes, and textures she experiences when listening to sound.
With an international audience of ~1M across social platforms, collaborations involving internationally recognized musicians including RÜFÜS DU SOL, and projects with Warner Records and Lollapalooza, Sarah has established a distinctive creative practice connecting visual art and music.
The next phase of her career is focused on expanding this practice through major live painting performances, touring collaborations, gallery exhibitions, cultural partnerships, and ambitious interdisciplinary projects.
We’re looking for someone who can help turn those possibilities into meaningful opportunities.
This is a relationship-driven business development role, not a traditional social media, marketing, or high-volume sales position.
The ideal candidate combines industry relationships, commercial instincts, creative thinking, and demonstrated experience developing and securing significant partnerships.
You’ll work directly with Sarah to identify opportunities, develop compelling collaboration concepts, connect with decision-makers, and advance promising conversations into real projects.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Partnerships & Business Development
Identify, pitch, and pursue high-value collaborations with established musicians, artist management companies, record labels, touring productions, festivals, brands, galleries, and cultural institutions.
Proactively develop relationships with relevant decision-makers across music, entertainment, contemporary fine art, and experiential marketing.
Leverage existing industry relationships where relevant while building new connections.
Originate partnership opportunities and move them from initial concept through outreach, negotiation, and agreement.
Identify commercially viable opportunities that advance Sarah’s artistic career, including live performances, brand activations, exhibitions, commissions, and licensing.
Music, Live Entertainment & Experiential Partnerships
Identify opportunities to integrate Sarah’s live painting practice into major tours, festivals, concerts, and entertainment productions.
Develop relationships with artist managers, agents, creative directors, touring professionals, and entertainment companies.
Conceptualize and pitch original live performance collaborations connecting music and visual art.
Explore partnerships with brands and experiential agencies interested in immersive artistic activations.
Fine Art, Gallery & Cultural Partnerships
Identify and develop relationships with contemporary art galleries, curators, cultural institutions, and exhibition organizers.
Pursue strategically aligned exhibition opportunities, gallery collaborations, and institutional partnerships.
Explore interdisciplinary exhibitions and cultural projects connecting fine art, music, and immersive experiences.
Help identify opportunities that strengthen Sarah’s long-term positioning within the contemporary fine art world.
Creative & Commercial Strategy
Independently conceptualize compelling partnerships connecting visual art, music, culture, and entertainment.
Develop tailored pitches and proposals communicating the artistic and commercial value of potential collaborations.
Evaluate opportunities based on artistic alignment, commercial potential, cultural relevance, audience reach, and long-term career impact.
Work directly with Sarah to shape partnership strategy while taking ownership of business development execution.
Relationship & Opportunity Management
Initiate and maintain conversations with prospective partners.
Manage introductions, outreach, pitches, proposals, and follow-ups.
Advance qualified opportunities toward negotiations and signed agreements.
Maintain an organized pipeline of prospective partnerships and provide regular progress updates.
Ideal Candidate
3+ years of relevant experience in business development, strategic partnerships, artist management, talent representation, entertainment, experiential marketing, or creative agencies.
Demonstrated success personally originating, developing, or securing meaningful commercial or creative partnerships.
Strong professional relationships within at least one relevant industry, particularly music, entertainment, brand partnerships, or contemporary art.
Excellent communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
Ability to independently develop original collaboration concepts and translate them into actionable opportunities.
Strong commercial judgment and an understanding of how carefully selected partnerships can advance an artist’s career.
Self-directed, entrepreneurial, resourceful, and comfortable working within a small, growing creative business.
Particularly Valuable Experience
Existing relationships with artist managers, agents, record labels, touring professionals, major brands, galleries, curators, or cultural institutions.
Experience securing collaborations with established musicians, entertainment companies, brands, or arts organizations.
Experience developing live performance activations, sponsorships, exhibitions, or experiential projects.
Experience working with independent artists, creators, or talent-led businesses.
Understanding of contemporary fine art, gallery representation, exhibition development, or cultural partnerships.
Demonstrated ability to recognize and develop unconventional opportunities across different creative industries.
Experience in fine art is welcome but not required. Strong candidates may come from music management, entertainment partnerships, creative agencies, talent representation, brand development, or cultural programming.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 90 days, the successful candidate will have:
Developed a targeted pipeline of high-value partnership opportunities across music, live entertainment, brands, and contemporary art.
Initiated meaningful conversations with qualified industry decision-makers.
Identified promising live performance, exhibition, and interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities.
Developed original partnership concepts with clear artistic and commercial potential.
Advanced qualified opportunities toward proposals, negotiations, or confirmed projects.
Established an organized, repeatable approach to partnership development.
Success will be measured by the quality, strategic value, and progress of opportunities developed, rather than outreach volume alone.
Compensation & Structure
$35–$60/hour, depending on experience.
Part-time, remote, freelance/contract position.
Los Angeles-based candidates are preferred due to proximity to the music and entertainment industries, but qualified candidates throughout the United States are encouraged to apply.
Flexible weekly hours, with potential for an expanded role as the partnership pipeline develops.
Performance-based compensation for successfully secured partnerships may also be discussed, where appropriate.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter outlining your relevant experience.
We’re particularly interested in learning about:
Partnership Track Record: Two examples of significant partnerships or collaborations you personally helped originate or secure. Please describe your specific contribution and the outcome.
Industry Relationships: The industries in which you have established professional relationships, particularly music, entertainment, brands, galleries, or cultural institutions.
Partnership Strategy: Based on Sarah’s work and existing collaborations, two specific partnership opportunities you would prioritize pursuing and why.
Availability: Your hourly rate and approximate weekly availability.
We’re looking for someone who combines creative vision with the relationships, initiative, and commercial experience to turn ambitious ideas into tangible opportunities.
Learn more: sarahkraning.com

Work arrangement
Yes