online galleries

Display Original Art Online and Connect with Buyers at ArtistBe.com

ARTISTS. The press release for a new online gallery/social network platform points out that with the rise of innovative e-commerce solutions, people in the creative fields (art, music, writing) may be able to find new ways to live their passions “instead of slaving away at day jobs.”

Screenshot of ArtistBe.com WebsiteIn fact, the press release announcing the launch of Artist Become (www.ArtistBe.com) leads off with this bold statement, “Things are changing for artists. No longer do they have to toil endlessly in obscurity, unsure of how and when they’ll be able to sell the artwork.”

ArtistBe.com is a new venture by the online art gallery overstockArt.com, which specializes in selling reproductions of oil paintings.

“With ArtistBe.com, we are doing more than creating a place for up-and-coming artists to display original art online, we are creating a new social platform for artists and art lovers alike,” states David Sasson, the president and CEO of overstockArt.com.

Fellow artists and art lovers can connect and communicate with other community members, comment and rate each other’s artwork, and become fans of other members. Artists can create their own galleries for free and had a dedicated URL to showcase their art, biographies, exhibitions, and more.

Buyers can choose to purchase art directly from the artist without any commission fees. If buyers prefer to order more affordable canvas-transfer paintings, the artist will earn royalties on every reproduction sold. Reproductions are available in a variety of sizes; pricing is dictated by the individual artists.

ArtistBe.com has arranged its content into a variety of galleries, specified by artist, subject, style, and type. Artists will dictate how the community will look in the future, by tagging the art with keywords that will help visitors find the type of art they want.

“Our commitment to art and the art world started with overstockArt.com,” said Sasson. “Now we want to branch out the give art lovers around the world the chance to find the next great artists of our generation. ArtistBe.com gives artists the ultimate platform to become recognized for their work and to make a living out of their creations.”

Sasson acknowledges that art is not an easy thing to sell. He believes that artists who participate in ArtistBe.com will benefit from the site’s relationship to overstockArt.com because overstockArt.com has already built a network of thousands of art lovers. This can help artists gain exposure and ultimately sales.

Useful Stats: Trends in the Wall Decor Market

ARTISTS. PHOTOGRAPHERS. If you ever wonder if the market is big enough to support the growing number of galleries that sell art and photography online, here are some encouraging numbers and trends.

According to a 2010 Unity Marketing Report on the market for Art, Wall Décor, Picture Frames, and Custom Framing, Americans spent more than $42 billion decorating their walls in 2009. But a closer study of 1,300+ recent buyers of wall décor showed that how consumers choose to spend their dollars to decorate their walls is changing.

“Americans are paying more attention to decorating their walls, but traditional art reproductions, for example, are being purchased less frequently today than they were in previous years,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing. She notes that “Consumers are investing more in original art which is more widely available as working artists become market focused.”

Wall decor in bedroomThe study found that: “Art buyers are creative people who strongly connect with the art they display on their walls.” They want to buy items that reflect their personal taste, and consider the art they hang on their walls to be an extension of themselves.”

  • 55 percent of survey respondents agreed that “The art I buy and display is an important outlet for my creative expression.”
  •  72 percent agreed that “When choosing art for my home, the way the piece makes me feel is most important .”

 The study was conducted to help art, wall decor, custom framing and picture frame manufacturers, marketers and retailers better understand the consumer market for their goods.

Danziger notes that “The art and wall décor consumer wants to feel that she is heard and understood by those wishing to sell her these most personal forms of expression.”

She believes “Success in the art, wall décor, and framing market will come to those marketers who know how to make an emotional connection.”

Unity Marketing specializes in providing consumer insights to marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences to the “masses as well as the classes.”

 

PrintedArt.com Offers Design Advisories for Home Decor

PHOTOGRAPHERS. As more consumers and professional decorators become more comfortable buying photos and art online, expect to see more diversity in the types of collections and support services being offered to them. 

We’ll highlight some of these online galleries on this site so you can see just how many opportunities now exist for marketing your own art and photography online.

PrintedArt.com is a web-based collection of fine-art photography hand-selected for the home décor and hospitality markets by an experienced staff of curators. Every image in the collection is sold as a limited edition and produced in the buyer’s choice of formats.

In addition to selecting the size, the buyer can specify how they want the print prepared for hanging. Prints don’t have to be framed if the buyer chooses to have the photo mounted on aluminum dibond and finished with acrylic or printed on canvas and wrapped on stretcher bars. Or, the customer can choose to have the images printed on art paper for custom framing.

Recently, PrintedArt.com initiated a series of design advisories to help customers envision how multiple images from different photographers might look when grouped together to support a chosen theme.

“The beauty of photography is that you can have amazing prints by different artists, in different color schemes, that have so much in common,” said Klaus Sonnenleiter, president of PrintedArt. “The most important aspect of a theme is that it must speak to you.”

For example, nature comes to life in this group of photos recommended for pairing by PrintedArt’s team of curators. The photos, Rebecca Akporiaye’s “Australian Pelicans,” Lee Rentz’s cleverly composed mountain landscape, and Al Vanderlyn’s dense, mysterious trees inspire an appreciation of the beauty that exists in the natural world and present a seamless theme for display in any home or office. 

If you would like to learn more about the company, visit www.PrintedArt.com or meet the staff in person at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, March 17-20 at the Pier 94 exhibition center in New York.

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PrintedArt.com

Website Helps Artists Show Work to Galleries, Designers, and Architects

Sample art sold on Art SpecifierARTISTS. New business models for marketing art and photography are continuing to emerge.

For example, ArtSpecifier.com is a new member-only Internet database that allows artists to market their work directly to designers, architects, and gallery owners worldwide. The site was developed by Joyce Creiger, who has worked in the art consulting and gallery business for over 38 years. She created the site after many designers and architects had expressed a need for one-stop shopping for high-quality art.

The site does not sell art. Instead, Creiger explains, “This site is the place to find art, contact artists directly for smaller jobs, or point art consultants to pieces appropriate for larger projects.” The site is not open to the public. It is open only to professionals such as: interior designers at hotels, hospitals, corporate offices, and private residences; art consultants; facility managers; gallery owners; and museum curators.

In addition to prints, giclées, and photographs, the site showcases paintings, wall sculptures, and art made with glass, metal, fiber, and lighting.

Creiger launched the site last October with more than 2,000 images and 300 artists, designers, architects, and art consultants as registered members. She acknowledges that the success of this site depends on the quality and quantity of artists exhibited on www.artspecifier.com. 

When the site was launched, she says, “A unique invitation was sent to specific artists familiar to us at the time.  This site is not limited to these artists but we encourage other artists who feel their work is appropriate to submit for membership.  There is no guarantee all will be accepted but we encourage artists to send us their information for consideration.”

Artists who are accepted as members pay an annual fee of $100 to upload unlimited images, and provide background information, a CV, and display recommendations. Designers have free access to the site and can search by color, style, medium, price, size and just about any keyword.

 For more information, visit: www.artspecifier.com