I recently came across a couple of new art communities online which I think you’ll find interesting.
Both of them seem to have similar goals – to make art less elitist, and to form new ways of interacting and viewing art online. Although still in Beta (not quite finished), for the most part they’re already functional and growing.
The first site is Art Face Off at www.artfaceoff.com. Based in Portland, Oregon (my own hometown!) this social networking site for artists brings together head-to-head competition and fine art.
In an attempt to “democratize” the art world, Art Face Off lets artists anywhere upload images into a personal gallery where their art is rated one to ten – beginner level to masterpiece.
Anyone who visits Art Face Off can rate the artwork and every five days the two highest rated artists compete in a vote-off. At the end of two weeks, the artist with the most votes moves on to the next round.
The face offs continue throughout the year and end with a final round of voting between the two artists who remained undefeated through every competition. The winner will receive $1000 and a spot in the Athena Awards collective exhibition.
Plus fame and fortune of course.
The second online art community is called MyArtPlot at www.myartplot.com. They offer artists their own “plot” of space online not only to post their work, but also to write a blog, review other artists’ work, comment on art, send messages, list art for sale, and more.
MyArtPlot is run by three very dedicated artist/entrepreneurs who themselves are very genuinely involved in the art and community aspect of their website. I get the feeling that they really want to see MyArtPlot help artists not only sell art, but also to grow and achieve more through interaction with other artists.
Unfortunately MyArtPlot’s online marketplace hasn’t opened yet. The functionality is there, and you can even upload and price your work, but Todd, Kim, and Minh (the three founders) have said that they want to build more artist membership before launching the marketplace.
Joining MyArtPlot is free; there are no fees for uploading images, or for anything else. The only time you’ll pay them any money is if you actually sell your art from their marketplace. Prices range from $25 to $995, and artists pay 5% of the sale price plus a credit card processing fee. (2% plus $0.20)
Sounds pretty good, actually.
Take a few minutes to look at both Art Face Off and MyArtPlot, and see if they’d be a good fit for your work.
You might end up liking the ideas or philosophies behind what they’re doing as well; if so, I encourage you to join and show your support.