by Carolyn Edlund
José Art Gallery is a social network for art industry professionals and a destination for art sales.
Artist profile on the José Art Gallery platform
Invited to explore and evaluate José Art Gallery, I discovered a platform filled with user-friendly tools that invite engagement and go beyond traditional third-party platforms. For the most part, the purpose of online galleries is to display work available for purchase by potential customers. Artists upload images of their art, add descriptions and a price. Customers check out through a secure shopping cart that handles sales transactions and notifies them where to ship. It is then up to the artist to follow up and encourage further interaction with collectors.
José Art Gallery has been a resource for artists for the past ten years, but the platform has recently been transformed. It still acts as a virtual gallery offering ecommerce, but has expanded their focus to a broader concept they call a social network for artists. I find this approach appealing because it reflects the reality of doing business. The art world is highly relationship driven. Tools have thoughtfully been incorporated into their platform to facilitate introductions, enable connections, and encourage conversation.
This new secure social network attracts and serves galleries, curators, and other industry professionals in addition to artist members. The community setup helps artists avoid that awkward cold outreach to industry professionals, hoping for recognition or response. Instead, they are equipped to have authentic conversations within the online community which are more natural and spontaneous.
Examples of artwork for sale on José Art Gallery
Changing industry roles
As the art world has decentralized, artists have become more autonomous. They’ve gained the ability to work collaboratively with gallerists and others who were previously perceived as gatekeepers who held the keys to success.
Technology has leveled the playing field. Artists have a stronger voice than ever. They can confidently act as partners with art industry decision makers who need their expertise, vision, and creative product. Tech has also empowered artists to become stars in their own right. They can attract and grow a fan following that craves direct and authentic contact with creatives. The human connection is instrumental to collector sales. This type of influence is highly desirable to artist representatives who specialize in marketing and sales.
Art advisors, curators and other professionals need artists’ creative products and may be seeking work for various clients or projects. The social network function allows them to easily find, review and message individual artists in the online community. That spark can lead to ongoing conversations and eventually professional collaboration.
One of the most valuable tasks an artist can undertake is developing a personal network of peers and other professionals. As connections become familiar with you and your work over time, you gain credibility. You’re in a position to take advantage of that network by commenting, discussing, sharing opportunities and encouraging others. And depending on your own goals, you may ask for feedback, or seek the chance to exhibit or sell your work.
Getting started
I opened a free account on the José Art Gallery platform and created a Curator profile, which most closely reflects my role. Alternate choices are Artist, Gallery or Other (which could include collectors.)
On my dedicated profile page, I was prompted to upload a background image, my photograph, a bio and links to my social media profiles. Other relevant page content might be a CV, artist statement. A Publications tab is available to post articles, exhibitions, upcoming events or images to be visible in a news feed that can be shared with the community. The platform offers two member packages: Basic, which is free and a paid Pro level with enhanced capabilities.
Art Gallery profile on the José Art Gallery platform
Searching and collecting
As a curator searching for art to view and share, I browsed through the Artworks category on José Art Gallery site to assemble my own personal collections of favorites. The site itself contains thousands of works but avoids overwhelm through the use of filters and other functionality.
I found the filters very helpful for narrowing down results that reflect my interests. Filter categories include medium, size, orientation, genre, style and price range. Since artists on this site are located in many different countries, a country filter can also be used. Or use the keyword search field to obtain other personalized results.
Individual works of art are presented on product pages with descriptions, price and a Buy Now button that leads to a shopping cart. That same page also offers other options. It encourages the site visitor to follow the artist or to message them. Save the work, like it, or add it to a collection. Share the artwork page link on social media or privately through email or as a message. Another link leads to the artist’s profile page, which may contain a complete portfolio of artworks, list of exhibitions, articles, and other information.
Engagement
The message feature makes it easy to contact individual members of the José Art Gallery platform. Visit any profile to view their portfolio, or collections they have created that include the work of other artists they admire. Each image in those collections is a live link that jumps to yet another community member. With many ways to respond and connect, you can easily begin a journey of discovery and engagement.
The community is invited to participate and vote in regular contests. These serve to increase exposure for member artists. Want to get more attention for your submission? Send a direct link to your entry to friends or fans through social media, instant messengers, email or SMS. Each click and view adds to your score – and brings more art lovers and collectors to the platform.
Most people enjoy visual art and look forward to visiting an online gallery. Wide access to a variety of searchable artwork can be relaxing or stimulating and begin the search as a new collector. An embedded social network in the gallery platform adds a new dimension to this experience. I see this as a win for everyone involved.
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