Tag Archives: marketing

[Guest Post] How to Get Your Art Noticed

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Photo Credit: Eddy Klaus via Unsplash under License

Getting Started

The art business is notoriously tough to break into. Getting your art noticed by art galleries, potential employers and art enthusiasts requires a lot of hard work, the right platforms and persistence. Building up your portfolio, creating a strong social media strategy and online art presence, and making connections are the key steps to gaining recognition for your art.

 

Harness Social Media

These days, social media is one of the most effective ways to get your name out in the world as an artist. The right social media strategy can make all the difference in how many people view and share your artwork. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are all excellent tools for promoting art.

Think carefully about the content you post. You need to give people a reason to follow you in the first place. Post content that you don’t have on your blog or website, like beginning sketches or the first stages of home sculptures and home paintings. Works in progress are a great way to let fans see your artistic process.

But posting good content isn’t the only part of a good social media strategy. Interaction is key. If you want to gain followers, you need to actually get involved in the online art community. Follow accounts similar to yours, leave comments and ‘likes’, and you may find yourself gaining much more followers. It’s also a good idea to join online communities exclusively devoted to posting art online and connecting with other artists. DeviantArt – the largest online social community for art enthusiasts and artists – is a prominent example.

 

Build Your Portfolio

Every artist should have a media kit with a portfolio. If you want your artwork noticed by the curators of art galleries, you need to build up a substantial and impressive body of work. Without it, there is not much chance you will be taken seriously.

As most artists know, the art world is very competitive and you must stand out to be noticed. Your media kit should accurately represent who you are as an artist, and should include a portfolio of your artwork, an artist statement, a brief biography, your press releases, published articles, and an artist business card and brochure.

Photo Credit: NeONBRAND via Unsplash under License

 

Interior Design

Targeting the art gallery market is not the only way to go. There are other ways to sell your art and get exposure. The interior design market is a great example of a massive industry that is always in need of new art. Interior designers are constantly in need for home paintings and home sculptures.

Before approaching designers, do research to make sure their work is in sync with your own, then put together a wide array of pieces for them to choose from. If they find the piece they’re looking for, they won’t mind if you lack experience and training.

Interiorart designers often hang around studio tours, art shows and art galleries – from where you can also gain inspiration. Remember, connection and interaction is essential to getting noticed in the art world. Going out to these places is a great way to meet potential interior designers, employers, art lovers and other artists.

 

Harper is an Auckland-based freelance writer who loves discussing home and lifestyle topics. She has enjoyed the privilege of writing content for local businesses such as Sea Containers. Harper keeps her home simple by choosing minimalistic décor and design. You can find more of her written work on her Tumblr page: Harper Reid.

 

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American Riviera Design Conference 2018

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After the success of last year’s first American Riviera Design Conference, ASID Los Angeles Chapter once again held the event in beautiful Santa Barbara, California this year.
The weather was perfect. The format followed last year’s event with an improved scheduling and more presentations. It was great to spend time with friends I already knew and made new friends. It was a tremendous effort of the organizers, sponsors, presenters and the attendees to made the two-day conference go smoothly.
Another mission of this year’s conference was to support the local communities that have been severely impacted by fire and flood. ASID LA held a raffle with 75% of the proceeds benefiting the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigate.
Below is the event timeline. I have added links for quick access.
Thursday, June 7th, 2018
11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Kick off Lunch
Riviera Ballroom at The Canary Hotel
11:15 am – Speaker: Ed Paulsen and Lisa Masino, Kravet Fabrics
            “Modern Tailor”
12:15 pm – Speakers: Shannon Ratcliffe and Venessa Kogevinas, LUXE Interiors + Design
            “Mad for Marketing”
My takeaway from the LUXE presentation was sending follow-up emails to new contacts right after the events no matter how tired you are. I always thought it was best to wait until the next business day, and I almost always got so busy and procrastinated until it didn’t make sense to email those people. 
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Tour Kogevina’s Luxury Properties Landmark Estate, “Robledal”, situated in the most exclusive part of Hope Ranch
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Tour of Armstrong Associates Arlington Village Santa Barbara, a mixed-use residential and commercial development
Architects: Peikert +RRM Design Group
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Luxe Interiors + Design Reception  
Champagne Reception and hors d’oeuvres
Speaker/CEU: Julie Arcelay, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove
        “Luxury Outdoor Kitchens”

Ready for another day of fun!

Friday, June 8th, 2018
9:00am – 10:30am – Breakfast and Presentation 
Presentation: Raina Cox & Eric Runner, Farrow & Ball Inc.
11:00am – 1:00pm – Lunch & CEU’S
Pullman Room at The LARK
11:15am- 12:00pm Speaker/CEU: Barry Cik, Naturepedic
“Flame Retardant in Home Furnishings”
12:00pm-12:45Pm Speaker/CEU: Guy Elston, Morris Tait Associates
“Disguise and Hide- Designing for Technology”
1:30 – 3:30pm – Montecito
William Laman, Furniture Garden Antiques
Elizabeth Ribons- Walking Antique Tour in Montecito
        The list of shops curated by Elizabeth Ribons can be download from http://www.mentormeresource.com/ when you provide your name and email.
4:00pm – 7:30pm – Tour of SBIFF The Riviera Theatre, and Movie
4:30 Speaker/: Shelby Fowler, Sherwin Williams
4:45 Speaker/: Leslie Delli-Venneri, Victoria + Albert
5:00 pm -7:30 Movie: RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsberg

[Survey] Help Designers Improve

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I often wonder, as a designer, if I am offering what people want/need. I am certain there are many things I can improve or change but people are not telling me. I can easily find reasons why people should hire designers. But I can’t find why people prefer not to work with designers.

What if residential designers can learn what homeowners, industry partners and contractors want? Sure this won’t bring world peace. But it will minimize unnecessary frustrations of all parties involved in a design project. We will make the profession better. Please help and fill out the survey to share your opinions. You have the option to be anonymous. After I have collected enough responses and organized them, I will share the results in a blog article. Please share this SURVEY with those who may be interested in contributing.

Thank you in advance for helping out!

The Art of Gift Giving

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It is not always easy to know what to gift to show our appreciation. I try to choose something that’s meaningful and suits the recipient. And within my budget.
Arts and Crafts:
Luxurious home fragrances. All the fragrances work with each other beautifully.
These soy candles are soothing. The simply white color doesn’t compete with any decor. 
Beautiful leather flower accessories.
Robot illustrations
Charming leather creations.
Handmade Creations under one roof!
Monthly pop-up shows throughout Southern California
Cultural Experiences:
Museum memberships
tours to local places/events
concert/performance tickets
books
magazine subscriptions
Food & Beverage:
Le Vert thé (available through White Peony Style in the U.S.)
High quality tea from Taiwan.
Baked goods and desserts from local bakery.

Cake, macarons, and cookie from Belwood Bakery Cafe in Northridge, California.

Time Together:
This is the ultimate gift. The best part is you give and receive at the same time!
No matter what I decide to gift, a handwritten card or note is always a nice touch.

Grow Your Design Business

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Over two years ago, as I was trying to manage and grow my business, I discovered that Hunter Douglas has a series of CEU (Continuing Education Units) seminars on business management and development and all the topics were what I was interested in!

The speaker for my area is Shelley DeVall. She is absolutely wonderful! Shelley is passionate about the program. Having owned a successful business before, Shelley really knows the in’s and out’s of managing a business. Besides business fundamentals, the program also incorporates utilizing technology for business. Susan Leinen is the speakers for subjects covering the Internet and Social Media. After meeting Susan, I have had the pleasure to work with her on designing the website for Conejo Association of Professional Interior Designers (CAPID), an organization I belong to. We are now partners for the Social Media Coaching program.

To date, I have attended most of the seminars at least once. The contents are constantly updated, so I always learn something new. My business is always changing, so I get different inspirations even when I take the same class for the second or the third time. This program pushes me to constantly think about my business and examine it from different aspects. Knowing information and resources are available to me, I am no longer afraid of or stressed out about the business side of design. For a small business like mine, it is truly beneficial to have such a program available. There are so many classes on products, but most designers also need help on business management and development. The classes are tailored for design businesses. Since most of the attendees are designers, we support each other by discussing problems and offering tips. I highly recommend this Design Center Program to anyone who wants to thrive in business.

I take most of these classes at Drapery Affair – Floor to Ceiling Interiors in Ventura, California. They have made a great effort to make the showroom a learning and support center for designers. The classes are very affordable. Everyone at the showroom is helpful and knowledgeable.

Just to clarify, I did not get paid from any business mentioned above. I am thankful for the program and want to have more people be aware of it so it will stay around and continue to be better.