Despite all the time I spend on art-and-internet based projects, I am a web dummy! For years I guiltily relied on the kindness of graphic designer friends to build and maintain my artist website. As a result, I rarely updated either the images or the text and my website wasn’t a very accurate professional representation of my work.
Now, that has all changed. I have discovered two different web services for artists, and both are affordable. Both services include web hosting and offer a blog-like, template approach. All I have to do is upload image and text, in order to build the site. I can change it whenever I want and, overall, I am happy with both of these services. One is OPP (as in – are you down with OPP?) which stands for ‘Other People’s Pixels.’ I have chosen this organization to do my personal website at caraober dot com. The other service I have used is Icompendium, also a template based and affordable service. Dana and I have used this service to help build our website at Paperwork Gallery dot com. I would recomend both. If you are an artist looking to build an online site, but you’re not interested in learning code – this is a great way to do it. Here’s the skinny from both sites.
Other People’s Pixels:
“We’ve already designed a website for your artwork.
You don’t need to do any of the tough stuff, just plug in images of your work and your portfolio can be online today. If you already have a website, you can keep the same domain name. If not, we’ll get the one you want and set it up.”
OtherPeoplesPixels was created by artists to help artists and students get their work online quickly and easily.
Why did you start OPP?
Some of our friends asked us for help making a portfolio website.
After the 5th person, we realized that this was something that a lot of artists and art students needed. It seemed like everyone wanted a portfolio website but no one had the time to learn how to make one. We knew it had to be quick, easy, and cheap… and so OtherPeoplesPixels was born.
Prices include your web hosting for a year and are $90 for students, $160 for a ‘standard’ site, and $260 for a ‘Multimedia’ site. All prices are per year.
Icompendium:
The Icompendium Web publishing system lets artists easily create and maintain a website at yourname.com. Add images, text and video with only a Web browser.
Icompendium is incredibly user friendly and full featured. All websites are setup, hosted, and supported by Van Stokes. Van Stokes writes, makes art and things people can use. His work has been published in several literary journals and help desk support manuals.
Since leaving Yale with an MFA, he has taught Visual Thinking I, II, Foundation Color and Design, and Digital Photography at Mercy College in White Plains, NY, and been an invited critic at NYU, Yale and Maryland Institute of Art. Current pedagogical work includes teaching his four year old daughter to strum the guitar.
As a technologist and long time end user, Van advocates simple economic solutions.
Cost per year includes web hosting and is $200 for Bronze, $300 for Silver, $400 for Gold, and $500 for Platinum. There’s a chart which explains what each service includes.
If any blog readers would like to suggest additional affordable web services for artists, please post it in a comment.
