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Evaluation
Evaluation
Using and maintaining an online presence for my artwork has been a difficult task while trying to maintain balance in all other aspects of life, however, it has taught me to use tools that I had previously dismissed due to needing to be technologically minded. The methods of promotion that I have found through the research portion of this module have been eye-opening. Seeing how much advancement has been made with online galleries, virtual tours, and catalogues of artists' work all stemming from COVID-19 times was something that, at the time, had not even crossed my mind. Allowing artists to show their work online and maintain a much more intense connection with their audiences through social media has made a positive impact on the disabled community by making art more inclusive and accessible on a global scale. Hundreds of online galleries can now host international collectives of artists and their work which, in my opinion, can only help to broaden the horizons of the art world and become more inviting to smaller artists who wish to exhibit.聽
Social media has been the most accessible form of promotion for me. Instagram being the main platform of choice, with all the features that it has to create a more rounded view of the audiences that you are reaching. The best thing that I could have done for my account was change it to a business account, this has let me keep a much closer eye on who is engaging with my work, what demographics are more interested, what tags people are searching that are also tied to mine and so much more. These features have made keeping up with my audience much clearer and utilising their scheduling feature means that I can set time aside and manage my account in a more coherent and organised manner. I think my next steps in using my platforms differently would be to start recording my process of making, as reels and videos have become a lot more popular since the rise in the use of apps like TikTok.聽
In the future, I aim to make my own website and online store. I feel that having a central hub for all my work and other updates, such as exhibitions, sales of my work, and collaborative endeavours all in one location would be greatly beneficial for myself and my audience. I would also like to not be so reliant on selling platforms such as Etsy and Redbubble as they take a not insignificant fee for the advertising, listing, and sales on their site. Being able to control and benefit fully from my work would be ideal as an addition to my continued career as a professional artist. In addition to this, I have been playing with online tools to make business cards and QR Code stickers that I can add to orders and hand out in creative settings. The QR codes are very exciting as most phones now come with a scanning feature, which would allow people to quickly scan them and be taken directly to my website and see my work.聽
I am looking forward to life after the Degree Show, many opportunities are awaiting and now I can access them.聽
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Research
Through the handbook and exemplars as well as following street level on various platforms, is their 24-Hour Window. Applicants are allowed to display work in their window for 24 hours, they also post your work on their Instagram page which will help reach a wider audience that may not have had another way to reach your personal art pages or accounts.
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QR Code
Creating a QR code that takes people straight to my artist's Instagram account was an interesting task, incredibly simple and so far has already helped to boost my follower count and interactions with my profile.
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Cards
Creating business cards was a lot more stressful than I had previously imagined, trying to find the best layout, the best information to have on the cards, and even down to what shape and style I wanted to use to represent my art was tricky. Having a catalog of previous designs and templates to play around with was very helpful.
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Accounts
Above are the links to my personal artist profile and Etsy profile where I have already started selling a mix of prints, originals, and custom pieces. They have been running for a few years now but with the research and practice put in over this module, they have had another breath of life pumped back into them.
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Round table discussion
The round table discussion was a great experience. It was a little nerve-wracking knowing that we were discussing our work with people we had not met but it was a good exercise. Having previously decided that we were going to try and make a more natural and engaging method of starting the conversation, using the singular words as prompts, took some of the pressure off of us. It was much more informal and that allowed us to better collect and verbalise our thoughts and what we wanted to say about our projects, for me specifically, it is easier to be reactive in a conversation rather than stand up in front of a group and try to proselytise. It is also intensely boring listening to someone stand up and stumble over their words, sounding uncomfortable, we should do away with this mock superiority because "I'm an artist and what I say is the only interpretation that matters".
The words were handed out to the participants and they had to look at the words they had and the work and try to match them up, this created a more intense relationship between the audience and the work as they now had to properly look to best match the worlds. It was also nice as the guests' guessing broke some of the tension, everyone was able to relax because they could keep guessing and they were becoming more passionate about the work and their answers as the discussion went on, they wanted to be right, however, if it was an incorrect guess that allowed for a deeper exploration and explanation of the work. It was also great hearing why people had guessed the way they did, hearing their thoughts on the work, and how they saw the correlation between the words and the works in turn. It was a very eye-opening experience and I think all of us walked away from the discussion with a new perspective on our own work.
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Install and exhibition
Test Site Presentation
The exhibition and installation required a lot of communication before stepping into the test site, even more so once we were all gathered in the space. Negotiating between ourselves allowed for the curation of the space to be as flattering as possible for each of the artworks on display. Some of the key areas of consideration were obviously the aesthetics of the space but also the health and safety concerns, my piece was spread over two boards on opposite sides of the test site, connected by a length of rope, and with this came the possibilities of it being tugged and bringing down the boards if the rope was at hip height, which could have resulted in serious injury as well as bringing the entire exhibition down. Other safety concerns were highlighted with having the rope on the floor as it would become a trip hazard, with this, we decided that connecting them from the tops of the boards would allow for a much more visually interesting piece and remove the possibility of it being tugged or walked into.
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Exhibition meetings
We met as a group in the studio to discuss the tasks that needed to be completed for the exhibition and promotion of the work. We elected to create a separate group chat and spreadsheet, from that meeting to discuss ideas and better coordinate outside of the college building. It was decided that Test Site 6.088 inside the college building to exhibit the final works, this was a collaborative effort and showed off our group's work.
In our group chat, we also decided that instead of creating a booklet full of our artist's statements and a map of the space we would try something a little different. We decided to keep the map but decided to each choose 5 words to describe our artworks and print them out all cut up and mixed together and hand them out to those who came to our discussion. We decided that this would create a much more natural and informal way of discussing the artwork.
The spreadsheet showed all the tasks that needed to be allocated for the show to go smoothly and efficiently, these tasks are as follows:
create group chat and padlet
create poster/promotional materials
hanging/handing out promotional material
social media promotion
round table invitations
preparation of space
gathering statements
installing
prep for opening
risk assessments
prep for round table discussion
deinstall
prep for group B to use the space
It also had our key meeting dates and a colour coaded system to show what jobs had been allocated and who whom.
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A guide for artists
A guide for specific ways to boost the online presence of artists and show their work in the best light to the right people.
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Exploring the options
1. Instagram
2. TikTok
3. Pinterest
4. YouTube
5. Twitter
6. ArtStation
The top listed sites for artists to showcase and promote their work.
Instagram - Instagram has so many features that appeal to artists when trying to promote their work. The intense visual aspect makes it the go-to for uploading and sharing art, be it images, reels, stories, or videos. These all help to encourage follower interactions which in turn boost the profile. Allowing people to see the full process of creating also helps to build an element of trust between the artist and the audience, again, boosting interactions when you have a strong follower base. Adding hashtags to posts also helps to spread work to groups who may not have otherwise found your work.
Some of the downsides of Instagram are the constant changes being made to the algorithm which can be harmful to an account as followers may not see recent posts and thus engagement drops. The number of art accounts the site hosts does mean that there is constant competition. Instagram's policy on nudity and what is classed as adult content is also a huge drawback, one that my own art account has had to deal with due to the nature of my work.
TikTok - This new platform has also become a front-runner when it comes to artists of all kinds displaying their work, with constant visual input and everything being contained in such a short time frame people can easily access work and accounts can grow rapidly in a very short time frame. The audiences being reached through the 'for you' page alone are so large and so varied that your work will almost always reach its intended audience.
The drawbacks to this app are similar to those of Instagram, especially when it comes to what is classed as adult content, which can detrimentally impact creators and result in bans being placed on specific videos to accounts being deleted entirely. Videos may also have a shorter lifespan as the app moves at such a fast pace, a keen eye for editing is key to draw attention from the first seconds.
Pinterest - An app that has always relied on visuals, pins, and boards can help to grow familiarity with your audience. A much more refined search engine can also be beneficial as the people who use it tend to have a clearer idea of what they are searching for in the first place which means that your audience will better be able to find your account and follow what you produce.
One of the cons is that building this platform can be slower than on other social media platforms. Constant pinning and board building can help aid this but growing an audience may take time and a watchful eye from the artist.
YouTube - Another platform that has been advantageous for artists to show their creative process and make small tutorials has the potential to be monetised which is greatly beneficial for artists. However that requires agreeing to advertising on the videos. YouTube is owned by Google which means that search results for related videos will be higher in the results.
Growing a YouTube channel is infamous for being difficult, and slow and takes a lot of time to curate even after the work has been created, editing and constant innovation are required to keep the audience invested in your work.
X ( formerly Twitter) - Similar to Instagram, X utilises hashtags to categorise the content on the site, this can allow you to reach potential audiences and communities that your work would thrive in. It already has a large portion of artists displaying work, this can be a massive help with networking and growing your reputation within the art community. X also has built-in statistics for understanding audience engament.
Cons- as this is predominantly a text-based platform, visuals tend to be rarer but more noticeable in a feed. With millions of people using the platform, it can be fast-paced which can make it difficult to maintain a posting schedule.
ArtStation - this is a new platform to me, however, some of the listed benefits highlighted show that it is targeted towards professionals and enthusiasts in the digital art, gaming, and entertainment industries. the site also posts everything to a high quality which shows work in the best light. ArtStation also posts job opportunities which is perfect for artists who are looking for a more stable income while continuing to create.
cons - As this is a relatively new platform with a niche audience it may be harder to build a following. This alongside its incredibly competitive nature may be better for someone who already has a strong follower base and is looking to expand into other areas.
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Professional printing
VistaPrint offers several services for people to create high-quality prints, posters, stickers, and much more. The service is relatively affordable and would be beneficial for artists' self-promotion.
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Creative Scotland funding
Some handy tips on how to secure funding through Creative Scotland and further links about the process including links to their application page.
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A good video showing some of the various methods that young artists can implement to further their reach on social media.
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Social media tips and tricks for artists
This article highlights some of the key elements needed for making a successful art account. Some of the key tips surrounding follower count and engagement were really interesting in that the number of people you have following your work does not always equate to the amount of interaction that your work is receiving. I know that early in starting my art account I became obsessed with the follower count, I couldn't understand why the number was rising but the number of shares, saves likes and mentions was not rising to match. Building a stronger connection with followers has helped me see those numbers match up more. Some posts receive higher interactions due to several different factors, even down to what time you post certain things.
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