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Should you join Artists in Canada? Part 1

Posted: March 19, 2013

This conversation started like most on our website, with a question – wondering what their login was as they are listed on the site and want to make a few text changes. (Membership is required to make your own changes) I felt this true conversation also sheds light on many artists expectations when they get another large art website to handle their artwork prints and promise to expose and share royalties (or is it exploit) their art to the world. It is an ongoing conversation, so tune in over the next 2 posts.

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Hello,

On my master sheet of passwords and usernames, I do not have my login info for this site. Thank you very much in advance.

Regards,

David Howells

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Hi David,

It is good to know you have a master sheet, so many of our artists try to remember all their passwords or they have one for everything. Not good. Anyway, you don't have a password as you need to be a paid member to access your promotional copy and images that run on the site. As you can see below, rates are even affordable for artists. If this does not interest you, just send me your changes and I will have them made for you.

Membership Details

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Hi Paul,

Thank you for the reply and information about membership.  I am presently with four different sites (and have been for many years) and have only received one commission and two print sales (total) as a result of all sites. As I am about to 'get back in the ring' with leading galleries, and this will most likely mean pulling everything about me from the web, even direct contact information about me on my own site, everything is on hold.

Best Wishes,

David

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Hi David,

Sometimes you need to circle the wagons. Sorry to hear your website dreams didn't amount to lots of sales. This has happened to many artists, but they also realize that there are other reasons to have a web presence. Exposure (I know an artist can die of it) to Art Galleries, Curators, writers looking to do articles, control your information people see, etc. Choosing your website directories is important as if you are on too many it may belittle your product perception by viewers. Example, if you make a high end product you don't sell it at Walmart, Zellers etc. I am sure you will figure it out. AIC has been here since 2000 with just under 1million page views a month. We have over 7000 Canadian artists listed and a growing newsletter that is diversified in its audience from Canada, USA, Europe and Asia.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Paul Constable, Director

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Hi Paul,

The internet is a strange creature. Artists know the importance of self-promotion and many are investing great amounts of time on a variety of sites. I could write a book on the politics of what is going on in different sites for artists trying to 'position themselves' better (making themselves come up sooner in a search within any given site). I don't know what to think about the sites with the greatest traffic as they usually have the greatest amounts of artists. As many of the sites are free, anyone with the ability to apply paint to a canvas, can post their work. This clutters sites, complicated searches for anyone looking for 'good' art and further complicates the public's general understanding of art. These sites can't be juried, due to their nature. Even pay sites don't solve that, they often only reflect who has the money to promote their work, which, in many cases are professionals with a 'day job' happy to promte themselves as artists. Having seen everything I've seen, I certainly don't profess to have any answers. I think you are spot on about being public perception and being on too many websites. If an artist is on a site like the Saatchi Gallery in England, their names will come up faster in Google (across the board) simply due to the way search engines work and the sheer traffic that Saatchi's website gets; the number is staggeringly high. They actually have a running count of daily visitors, broken down by nation....an estimated 50 million hits per day. http://www.artnewsblog.com/2007/11/saatchi-gallery-online.htm I appreciate the stats provided and, should I try and go it alone without the galleries, will explore AIC in depth. Representation by leading galleries certainly comes with clear price tags and limitations.

Thanks very much!

Cheers,

David


David Howells Website

Image: Bottom of the Garden, 24 x 36, oil on canvas

PART 2 -– CONVERSATION TO BE CONTINUED ......NEXT POST.

You can join in as well. Send your email to [email protected] with Article in the headline.