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When one says “World Wide Web” the word that comes to mind is BIG.
The web is so intricate, expansive and never ending, surfing it is more
intimidating than navigating the Bermuda Triangle on the S.S. Minnow! One can
get lost on the choppy seas of web sites and never find what they are seeking.
Sometimes you can feel like Sisyphus pushing that pebble up the hill,
continually growing into a boulder overtaking your strength until it rolls
down beside you uncontrollably disintegrating into a stone awaiting your
battle again. All you’re left with is a nugget of your original intent.
The added stress is not something the struggling artist or any artist, for
that matter, needs. (Angst, in many cases, is synonymous with Artist.) Should
the web create more pain for you? Our answer is a resounding NO! Which is why
it was decided to dedicate this space to taking some of the sting out of the
artist’s quest. The following are sites I feel are “helpful” to the
artist. For the purpose of continuity, artist shall be defined as painter,
sculptor, photographer or graphic artist. In evaluating the sites I created
guidelines of what is helpful by asking questions: i.e “Is the site
educational? For research purposes? About the business of art? For current
exhibitions or events? Does it direct the artist to other sites? Does it give
the artist exposure and/or a voice? Does it help the artist progress in his
art? Does it help the artist progress economically?
It’s impossible for one website to be all things to all artists. Most
sites are niche sites. In other words, they specialize in doing one thing
well. The ensuing is a list of sites, by category, and why I feel they will do
well by the artist.
A Directory to Art Sites
www.theartgallery.com.au/directory/
This site is a search engine specifically for the arts. If you want to look
up art history this site will provide you with a listing of art history sites.
Categories range from Antiques and Collectibles to Art Restoration and
Conservation. It’s not the most extensive directory, however. It is a good
beginning giving you an overview of the web sites before you become too
immersed.
Educational Sites
Research
www.artcyclopedia.com
By far, the most extensive worldwide art link for museum quality artists
with over 700 leading art sites and 24,000 links by over 7,000 artists. This
site is useful for any art history research on museum quality artists.
www.askart.com
“The Artists Bluebook” to quote the web page, AskArt is a comprehensive
database about North American Artists. This site will give you auction
records, biographies, book and periodical references, names of dealers,
museums, exhibitions, and provides the artist with a bulletin board. I like
this site because it is not only for the buyers of art, but also for the
sellers of art, namely, the artist. The artist can find works by other artists
in their particular genre and research going rates for that type of work. The
artist can also find out the names of dealers and network. And lastly I like
this site because it grants the artist a voice with their bulletin board. This
site is educational for research purposes, helps the artist progress
financially, bestows the artist with the opportunity to network with dealers,
and allows the artist his opinion. And this site does all of this for free.
Kudos to AskArt.com!
The Business of Art and Current Events
www.artdaily.com
ArtDaily is an on-line current event newspaper specifically for the art
world. Articles like Archbishop criticizes work that Depicts Virgin Mary in
a Bikini dons the pages of this daily. This site also lists exhibitions
all over the world and is extremely user friendly. To keep up with the comings
and goings in the world of art, ArtDaily is tops.
Exposure/Voice/Support of the Arts
www.artisticforum.com
One of the most important things an artist can do for himself is promotion;
give their work exposure. Let the world see and hear their perspective through
their work. The Artistic Forum affords the artist that specific opportunity.
Artists can submit their work, written or pictorial, and the Artistic Forum
will feature works on their pages, including the names and e-mail addresses of
the artists. The Artistic Forum also provides a forum for discussion, free
calendar of events, support for young artists with the Kids Corner, local and
Internet art listings, free banner exchange, informative articles about art
and events, and educational articles written by a multiple award winning
artist, Mr. Robert K. Roark. His perspectives help the artist progress
artistically and professionally. The objective of the Artistic Forum is to
support all artists, share ideas, and give the artist a place to voice theirs.
And, the Artistic Forum does this for free!
Networking
www.thestudiolink.com
This site links you with other professionals in your field with an array of
different fields from animation to Jewelry design. It is solely a site for
professionals in their artistic disciplines.
www.askart.com
Please refer to description under Educational.
Progression of the Artist In His Art
www.fawc.org/about/index.shtm
The site for the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA is a must for
the beginning artist! The FAWC began in 1968 by a group of eminent artists who
recognized the need to support talented artists and writers. Each year the
Fine Arts Work Center accepts 16 Fellows--8 visual artists and 8 writers
respectively. The Fellows are given room, board, and instruction in an intense
seven-month period. “Distinguished artists and writers visit the Center
throughout the year presenting readings and lectures.” Fellows are given
guidance, solitude and focus on their art. Visit this site to find out how you
can apply to become a Fellow and hone your art.
Progression of the Artist Economically
Honestly, as far as the web is concerned, I was sorely disappointed. All of
the sites that said they “brought the buyer and seller together” really
wanted you, the artist, to advertise on their site or become a member with
prices ranging from $50- $500. For that privilege they would create a web site
for you and link it to theirs and for more advertising dollars you could
exhibit your work on their site. My idea: Create your own web-gallery and
order form or find a talented teen to create your web site. Then, once you
have it the way you want and all your links are working, network with sites
that support the arts, as those listed above do and/or link it with fellow artists
of the same ilk.
These are just a few
suggestions to get the artist started on the web. If there are any other web
sites that are helpful to the artist please e-mail them to the hostmaster@artisticforum.com
and we would be happy to review them for upcoming articles.
Share
your favorite sites or post your comments on our new forum.
Links to off sites are not part of the Artistic Forum, and
the Artistic Forum has no control over their content or availability.
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