A BUSINESSWOMAN from Hertfordshire has set up the only worldwide directory of artists and their work to help showcase their talents in an affordable way.
‘Artists Info’ showcases a wide range of art and styles, from ceramics to jewellery, paintings and photography. It charges artists just £49.99 a year to have up to 12 pieces of their work shown on the site, which they can change when they want to, plus a direct link to their own websites.
Buyers can contact the artists directly, can commission work or buy and there is no commission charged. The price is invested back into the website for further development and optimisation.
Currently it features around 300 artists from 17 different countries, from the very professional to good quality amateurs and the creators are looking for more artists from all over the world to join up.
The idea for the directory came from Jean Dennis, most of whose career has been based around the art world. She currently runs a framing business and gallery in St Albans.
Jean said she came up with the idea while putting together an art expo a few years ago.
“I knew the names of the artists I wanted to attract and because of this expected to be able to find them quite easily. However after trying I realised I’d have to be Sherlock Holmes to track down people I even knew well,” she said.
So Jean spent several months researching old and new contacts and created the website with the help of a friend, Melanie Burnell, who had also run her own art gallery in the past. Together they designed and launched the site.
“There are a whole range of reasons why this site is beneficial to everyone involved in the art world – it’s for anyone who wants to buy an original piece of art for home or office, publishers can find work suitable for greeting cards or book illustrations, interior designers can find artists they want to work with and licensing agents can find artwork suitable for merchandise printing.”
“Also with many retail galleries closing due to ever increasing overheads, there are less opportunities out there for the artists to exhibit. Self promotion and marketing can be expensive and more difficult for artists, so for many of them this is a very affordable way to promote their work. They deal directly with the public, so the maximum amount of money goes to the artist involved, and at the same time the customer gets the best deal as there are no gallery commissions payable,” she said.
“I’ve always very much supported the arts as much of my career was involved with sourcing it. I’ve had a wealth of experience in manufacturing and retail within the art world so this is my way of giving back and helping artists to help themselves as well as the art community.
“Overall, Artists Info is giving a global platform 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a very affordable price,” she concluded.
Public Relations by The Laura Berrill Agency