Art Print Issues

Making a Mark, Making a Difference in Your Town

We've all seen or heard of the "Day in the Life" type series where hundreds of photographers spread out around a city or area to capture its essence on film. Arguably, the most famous and ambitious would be the Day in the Life of Africa project. An offshoot of such an idea comes from conceptual artist Carl Pope with his The Mind of Cleveland project where he asked people to share their inner voices in 10 words or less to become part of a poster-mural artwork for Case-Western University's Humanities Week. It also will become an art exhibit at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Projects like these are worthy on multiple levels. They raise awareness for cities or countries, they raise money for needy causes, they raise awareness for the artists who participate in them. The question then becomes what can a single visual artist, or perhaps an art league or art school do to create such a worthy project for their town or region? I think plenty could be done. One of the things they have in common is one person had the idea and energy to make something happen, to make a difference.

Depending on how fast one works, as with Carl Pope, it could be a solo project. Or, depending on how well one plays with others and exudes leadership qualities, it could be a marvelous collaboration. The project doesn't have to be a day in the life. It could be a year, a week, a month or have no time frame at all.

For example, my hometown is Alton, Illinois. It is a picturesque hilly river town situated on the Mississippi just east of St. Louis. If local artists there decided to paint whatever about it they find special the results could be produced into a book to be sold online, in local gift shops and visitor bureaus. Individual prints could be sold via Imagekind.com. A Web site could be created. It could become an annual project. The proceeds could be used to fund an existing charity or a new one if that were more appropriate. The sky is the limit on what and how such a project could be used and how much good it would do.

What might you personally get out of starting such a project? Notoriety, new customers, new galleries, a wider circle of influence, sense of accomplishment, benefit of doing something worthwhile for others and your hometown.

If you have read my book, How to Profit from the Art Print Market, (click on the cover top right of this page for more details of this shameless bit of self-promotion, which is something I hope each of you practice regularly), you know Stephen Covey is someone I greatly admire. I paraphrase one of the things he says here, "There is no limit on the amount of good one turned-on person can do."

It is easy to fall prey to the false notion and think our individual contributions can't make a dent or difference. Stephen Covey and I would disagree. If there is a nugget of inspiration in this blog post for you, then seize it, turn-on and turn it into something good for your community and yourself. You'll never regret you did.

Happy New Year!

P.S. An excellent tool to help you conceptualize and manage such a project is The Brain touted in my previous post. 

Free Visual Mind Mapping Idea Generator & Organizer

I have been using free edition of The Personal Brain for some time. It has become an integral part of my planning, brainstorming and idea indexing for all the things I'm interested in. I find having a visual reference is an excellent means of helping me keep the things I want and need to do organized. Here's an example of one I put together in about 10 minutes with ideas on things I want to work on in 2008. I can't imagine trying to keep track of things the way I used to now that I have this remarkable useful tool.

Here is how it looks when you click on the Art Print Issues Blog child thought. This tool has so many applications, and like so many great things, including this blog, on the Web, it's free for you to take and put it to work in your art business. Spend some time on the Web site or take the free live seminar to learn how you can put it to use for yourself. I will be surprised if I don't hear back from some of you who find The Brain to be a wonderful asset. I'd love to hear about new ways any of you find to use it:

Peace On Earth - Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Joyous Prosperous New Year!

I trust Peace on Earth is not too much to ask for...?

Something Old Something New Meet Myron Arndt & Sue C. Smith

SOMETHING NEW

A long time art print indutry veteran recently joined the ranks of art business bloggers. His name is Myron Arndt. With his list of accomplishments and breadth of knowledge, he is sure to add value to the conversation about how to help the art market, prints in particular, navigate the choppy waters surrounding it today.

An example of the valuable information Myron is publishing on his Art Business Thoughts blog is his recent post titled, Art Submission Tips. It provides insights for artists on how to properly present themselves to a publisher. One of his ventures is Island Art Publishers. From this vantage point he offers firsthand knowledge, wisdom and tips for artists considering working with a a publisher. Check him out, you'll be glad you did.

I would love to see more art print publishers join the ranks of bloggers. It would be good for them and great for the industry and artists to have them publishing their thoughts and sharing their treasure trove of experience as Myron has chosen to do. If you have contact with any publishers, let them know about Myron and suggest to them the notion of starting a blog for themselves. Tell them to contact me for ideas, guidance and resources to get started.

SOMETHING OLD

Sue C. Smith launched her Ancient Artist blog in May 2007. I love the concept; the subtitle is: On creating art in Oregon, starting a second career in art instead of retiring, developing an art marketing strategy, and philosophical discussions about art.

How many artists does that describe? A whole bunch is the answer. Boomers are shedding their past and searching for their futures in droves. The number turning 60 every day is astounding.

I think Sue is on to something with her approach. Her blog topics are wide ranging, but are all nonetheless interesting. Much of her Ten Things You Can Do Now dovetails perfectly with my own philosophy of developing an art career.

Best wishes to both these bloggers to keep adding to the art business and art marketing blogging conversation.

How to Pronounce Giclée

Despite increasing awareness, widespread use and ubiquitous display at shows such as ArtExpo New York and ArtExpo Las Vegas, there is still confusion about how to pronounce Giclée. Here is an easy way to learn. Click on the word to hear how Giclée sounds and is used in a sentence. Apologies to any French speakers who find my American accent foreign to their ears. It's nevertheless a far improvement from "gick lee" and "gee clay" and other abominations that are excruciatingly foreign to just about anybody's ears with exception of those who mangle the pronounciation.

The following is taken from the Wikipedia entry for Giclée:

Giclée (from French), commonly pronounced "zhee-clay," is an invented term for the process of making fine art prints from a digitial source using ink-jet printing.

Much of the nomenclature for art prints are related to the French language, which is not surprising since the art form evolved in France. For instance, artist's proofs are often denoted as Épreuve d'Artiste or E.A.; a Pochoir is a print made using a stencil; a Bon à Tirer proof translates to "good to print"; and Hors Commerce meaning "before the sale" are print impressions annotated H.C. which are supposedly “not for sale.” While using foreign language terms, especially French ones, adds an elegance and hint of romance to the use for many Americans, the terms in their native French are merely serviceable words used to accurately describe various aspects of fine art printing business.

The early pioneers of digital printing therefore naturally gravitated to the use of a French word to help describe what might otherwise have been called a digital print or computer-generated print or other distinctly non-romantic techie term. Digital artist and digital art are more commonly accepted as fine art these days. These, however, were not terms one wanted to describe a new fine art printing technique in the early '90s before Windows 95, AOL, the Mosaic browser and other transforming technologies became common place along with the rise of the World Wide Web. If you want the full and best story on what a Giclée is and the real story of the genesis of the term, read my previous blog posts, What is a Giclée. It has links to the most accurate and succinct information on the subject.

Jen Bekman's Hip Happening 20X200 Art Print Gallery & Website

One of the most highly promoted and talked about art print ventures this year was the launch of Artaissance. With the ownership and accompanying marketing muscle and budget of the world's largest picture framing company, Berkshire Hathaway owned Larson-Juhl, it was certain to make an impact on the business. It's still too early to know just how extensive the impact will be. But, it's a corporate play and while there is nothing inherently wrong with it as the art business needs captial injection from that sector, what the art print market most needs to move the market and stir things is energy that comes from entrepreurial innovation and investment.

Jen Bekman is the kind of artrepreneur that gets your attention. One you instantly root for and admire for doing what she does. For the past four years, she has championed emerging artists in photography, art on paper and original works promoting them in her pocket-sized Lower East Side Manhattan jen bekman gallery. In an effort to help more artists find collectors and get to market, she acted on a brainstorm and launched the 20X200 Web site based on this proposition:

large editions + low prices + the internet = art for everyone

The art print market could use many more innovators like Jen Bekman, especially ones with her vigor and drive. She also produces the Hey, Hot Shot! photography competition and publishes the influential design blog Personism. We wish much success with the gallery, Web site, competition, blogs and any other worthy projects she finds herself doing.

Rather than rehash her story, the copy below is straight from the OUR STORY page of her Web site. She can tell in her own words better than I to let you in on what a great idea she has developed:

The Power of Believing in Yourself

You are an artist. You chose to be an artist. You desire to achieve success as an artist. I've said it many times before, if the fire in your belly is real, then it's likely art chose you as much as you chose it. Meaning, you are not going to be satisfied doing anything else or settling for less than the best you can do.

The arts are full of hungry ambitious talented people. It's not easy to get your share of success. Certainly, no one is going to hand anything to you. You have to go out there and get it. And, you have to keep after it when you hit hard spots and obstacles that end many careers. It's especially tough when others who ought to know fail to recgonize the depth of your talent.

Musician Chris Daughtry is a perfect example of the power of believing in yourself and persevering against the odds. His eponymous debut album, DAUGHTRY, has stormed the the charts becoming the quickest selling rock debut in Soundscan history, DAUGHTRY became the #1 top selling album in the country not once, but twice, after debuting at #2 in November, 2006, moving upwards of 300,000 copies in the first week alone. After more than a year on the charts, it remains highly ranked at #37 on the Billboard 100 chart. In a further testament from his peers, he received 4 Grammy nominations for the 2008 awards show.

So how does his success as a musician relate to visual artists? Glad you asked. The short answer is a lot. And, you don't have to be rock music fan to appreciate how it applies.

Blog Rush - Generate Targeted Traffic to Your Blog

There are numerous tools one can use to drive blog traffic and find new readers. Obviously, some will work better than others. The folks at Blog Rush have developed a program that looks like a winner to me. If you have a blog, take a look at how Blog Rush can help you find new readers for it. If you have a favorite blog, let its publisher know about Blog Rush. I am certain they will thank you.

You will find the Blog Rush widget on the left side of my blog. Click on the link on the bottom to learn how you can use Blog Rush to help you grow your traffic and awareness. Or click on the image below.

The Wizard Offers Visual Artists a Unique Illustration Opportunity

There are certain people destined to make their indelible mark on the industry in which they work. Some have talent and influence that spills over into the lives and businesses in other industries. The brilliant and inestimable Roy H. Williams, aka the Wizard of Ads, is such a person.

To give you some idea of the scope of interest and depth of energy of this true Renaissance man, Williams has not only conceived and built the most unusual learning center in the U.S. on 22 acres in Austin, he's also seen his dream of the Chapel Dulcinea, pictured here, constructed and put to use. Read about this beautiful edifice and learn why it is a free Wedding Chapel that is a testament to his many faceted personality. And, what the heck, sign up to get hitched there while you are at it.

It's interesting how you discover strangers who come into your life and make a marked difference. Regular readers have previously been introduced to marketing maven Michele Miller. She pens the Wonderbranding for Women blog. It is one of the most respected and trafficked marketing blogs in the business. A mutual friend from Sedona, Sharon Hooper,who is a personal spiritual life coach there, was the first to encourage me to start blogging and she told me about Michele's blog. That was in 2004. I doggedly hung on to publishing PDF newsletters until 2007 and wish I hadn't.

I did heed Sharon's advice about reading Michele's blog and I have been well rewarded for following it. Besides her own invaluable insights, she is part of the team Roy Williams has put together that makes up the Wizard Academy. The description on the Academy Web site reads as follows:

Wizard Academy® is a progressive new kind of business school in Austin, Texas.
Our objective is to improve the communication skills of advertisers, artists, educators, architects, ministers, authors, inventors, salespeople, journalists and musicians.