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Twitter Tips for Artists

Krishanna — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:10:31 +0000

Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists

As an artist or creative business, one of your main goals is to connect with your audience and collectors. Social media allows us to connect and collaborate on a level we otherwise wouldâ€™ve never known outside of the web. It allows collectors and fans to connect more intimately with the artist and allows for a stronger relationship with the art itself.

As an artist, Iâ€™ve found that Twitter is an excellent place for self promotion and connecting with my audience. The trick is knowing how to use it. As simple as it seems, there are things you should and should not do. To summarize, being relevant, open, sharing, and giving are the best policies for Twitter. Here are 10 waysÂ artists can better connect with their followers on Twitter.

1. Share your work in progress

Be creative and open. People love to hear about how you create your work. If you videoblog, post a link. Describe what you are creating and what you are using. People want to hear what you are doing, what it
looks like, and what you are thinking.

Jeremiah Ketner (@smallandround) of SmallandRound.com, a gallery artist, tweets the progress of his work in text and photos, incorporating pictures from Twitpic and Flickr.

2. Share announcements

Do you run auctions online or own a shop on etsy? Do you have an upcoming show, interview, or art exhibit coming up? Announce appearances, shows, and new available art.

Anne Leuck Feldhaus (@annesart), an urban pop artist tweets announcements of upcoming art shows and exhibits weeks or months ahead. You will also find Anne live tweeting from the events she shows in.

3. Find and connect

Using Twitter for networking is the best part. Find people through the Twitter search function who would be of value to a business relationship or people who are interested in art. Build relationships through conversation about anything. Not just about art. Twitter allows for deeper, more meaningful business partnerships and relationships with your audience if you can converse with people on their level.

After connecting with their team on Twitter, I formed a business partnership with Black Card Circle and their foundation. As a result of that relationship I am showing my art in exclusive BCC events and donating my work to charities through their company.

4. Share Yourself

Share informative links to your blog, your stories, interviews, or other art news. Amie Gillingham (@gillie), an artist and co-founder of EBSQ, an online artist community and portfolio site, always offers links to helpful info for artists and collectors. In addition to her own content, she always shares and promotes other peopleâ€™s links.

5. Research your followers

Use Search.twitter.com to survey what people are thinking about art, or what you do. Answer questions or tweets. Share. Iâ€™ve used search to find people who are interested in fine art and pop art. Simply search by keyword for a topic you like or would want to discuss and you will find other people to follow and connect with. Use keywords to find out who their favorite artists are, their favorite colors, or what their lifestyles are like. This gives you an opportunity to analyze the possible audience you can have or do have on Twitter.

6. Offer a collector club

If you use a private Twitter account, you can offer follower exclusives like promotional discounts, exclusive art prints, or sales info. This would work great for a collectors base on Twitter. I have yet to find artists who are utilizing this form of Twitter, but Iâ€™m certain that the idea is going to spread fast. The concept ofÂ immediate info and response to collectors would make the concept of a private Twitter club account very appealing to your group.

7. Announce site/shop issues

Announce when or why sites are down, or other problems. Having immediate information on why your followers canâ€™t seem to buy that print or go to that blog builds trust. Elizabeth Stewart (@ecstewart) a licensed calligraphic designer uses Twitter to update on website maintenance, when new shop options are available or if the site goes down. It keeps customers from worrying or wondering when something is
getting done. They can simply watch her tweets for instant updates.

8. Hold Twitter contests

Do Twitter contests and giveaways. Offering a fine art print each week or month to friends who RT (retweet) gives you traffic and new buzz. If they donâ€™t win, they may buy something. Include a link to your portfolio or online shop to build immediate traffic and gain buzz.

I held a â€œTwitter Treatsâ€ Trivia contest where I broadcasted myself asking trivia questions via Ustream.tv and had my followers answer them on Twitter. Chrysti (@ArtByChrysti), a collage artist, uses Twitter to share her giveaways.

9. Collaborate with other artists or businesses

Connect and collaborate with other artists and businesses on Twitter. Share the wealth with your followers. You can gain a good reputation amongst your following and open up future business opportunities with the people you promote and share.

Artists like Maura McGovern (@mmcgovern and myself) are collaborating on a poster design with other artists for the Social Media For Social Change event this April. Without Twitter, this would have been pretty unlikely.

10. Offer instant commissions and orders

You can use Twitter to take commissions, custom request, or orders via tweets or direct messages. Iâ€™ve used DMs to send and receive messages from customers who wanted to purchase things directly through me. Twitter also allows me to live tweet followers as Iâ€™m shipping their order and give them details on when and how it will be shipped to them.

Source: Mashable

Natasha Wescoat is a licensed artist and social media creative at NatashasArtCandy.com utilizing the web to promote her art and connect with her audience. You can follow her on Twitter.

Make Money, Give To Your Community

Krishanna — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:45:22 +0000

If you are a self-employed artist and live in Virginia, this might be a great way to gain exposure in a market you may not have tapped into and make a little money while giving back to your community.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Equality Virginia is currently accepting submissions for an Art Show and Auction Benefit. The application deadline is February 27, 2009. Selected artists will be showcased at the GCCR Gallery March 13 through April 2, 2009. All works will be auctioned at the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner April 4, 2009.

Equality Virginia
Equality Virginia is a statewide, non-partisan lobbying, outreach and education organization seeking equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Virginians. We work to help protect families, end discrimination and build safe communities. Your donation of art will help Equality Virginia achieve these goals. For more information, go to Equality Virginia’s website.

2009 Commonwealth Dinner
More than 1000 GLBT and allied people are expected to attend the dinner this year. The evening will include recognition of twenty OUTstanding Virginians (historical and living). Emmy award winning actor, Leslie Jordan will provide the eveningâ€™s entertainment. For more information, visit Equality Virginia’s Commonwealth Dinner page.

Art Show and Auction Benefit
The application deadline is February 27, 2009. Selected artists will be showcased at the GCCR Gallery March 13 through April 2, 2009. All works accepted will be auctioned at the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner April 4, 2009. Submit JPEGs to artshow@equalityvirginia.org

Awards
Cash prizes totaling $1250 will be awarded. All selected pieces become the property of Equality Virginia and will be included in the auction. Artists have the option of retaining up to 25% of final auction sale.

Eligibility and deadlines
Original works in all mediums considered. Pieces should have a minimum value of $250 and be easily transportable. Submissions should be made to artshow@equalityvirginia.org in JPEG format by February 27, 2009. in JPEG format by February 27, 2009. Images must be less than two megabytes in size and submissions should include a brief description of the work and the artist.

About the Juror
Norman F. Goodwin: Born and raised in Norfolk, Norman Goodwin was educated at Cooper Union, Columbia University and the London School of Conservation. His paintings are widely collected by both individuals and museums, including MOMA, the Chrysler Museum, Art Institute of Chicago and the Nasher Museum at Duke University. Norman is a certified fine arts appraiser and conservator.

See With Bigger Eyes

Krishanna — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:40:08 +0000

Half a Dozen Things Fine Artists & Crafters Can Do To Help Themselves Survive the Economic Slump

Because fine art and craft have long been considered a luxury for an audience with a disposable income, visual artists, like many self-employed creatives are susceptible to icky, economic downturns.Â Right now everyone is hesitant to spend to drop cash on what seems to extravagance, even the very wealthy.Â But collectors and dealers know this is the best time to buy and fine art and craft is one of the safest places to “park” their moola. But, they are looking to invest inÂ established artists with proven and verifiable sales and exhibition histories.

This is not good news for most emerging and mid-career artists. I’ve gotten e-mails from creative friends asking for ideas about how and where to sell work during a time when many galleries are struggling to make ends meet. Galleries are way more likely to exhibit the work of artists they feel confident they can sell right now. So, if you are thinking about approaching galleries any time soon here are five things to consider:

Know your stuff. Do your research and keep up the news- art, culture and business. Keep an eye on trends in your community. Watch which galleries are advertising and who they are showing. This will be a strong indication of which galleries will survive. Know which galleries accept outside proposals and when, keeping in mind most schedule exhibitions months or years in advance. Understand that, like the business world, the gallery world ebbs and flows and you need to move with it.

Become a little geeky. Aside from having an organized electronic (email) database of collectors, fans and people interested in your work, as well as an accurate inventory system, take a little time to research web sites (if you don’t have one) and blogs. Determine whether you are better served with a blog that you can easily update or a static website that is updated quarterly or annually. Check out social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn to find out how networking online with other artists and people of a like mind can
benefit you. It’s easy to let these things slide and find reasons for not having enough time, energy or resources…but, there is never a better time than now to get this stuff done.

Find creative weirdoes. Face it: being a visual artist can be a not only a weird but solitary profession, so in surrounding
yourself with other creative weirdoes you can help one another remain positive and upbeat. So find other artists and creative people you can talk to and/or meet on a
regular basis. It’s always important to keep creativity flowing but
especially during economic downturns. Nothing does that better than talking to other artists about their work and discussing yours.

Get out of the box. Be willing to think out of the box and explore non-traditional venues to
exhibit work and be willing to lower prices and/or barter for goods and services if you can. Look into local outdoor and weekend farmer’s markets and other similar venues. Look into renting space in an antique mall. Many people looking to decorate their homes with antiques also collect fine art and craft.

Curate yourself. Create your own exhibition of your existing work and approach local non profit exhibition spaces, small museums and college and university galleries with your ideas. Since many are coping with budget cuts, they are often more open to an exhibition that is already prepackaged and ready to hang. Use the distance you are willing to drive as your geographical radius and send proposals to everyone within that area.

Do stuff for yourself. Everyone is under a tremendous amount of stress in this uncertain economic climate. The world seems chaotic right now. Money, career and family responsibilities can feel overwhelming. For many visual artists and fine crafters, it is our art that centers us and in an intrinsic part of who we are. We will all get through this, so continue to make the best possible art you can make and you will continue to thrive.