Patron

the blog

Jul
20th

requests for proposals for art {by karli}

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I am so sorry that I have not updated this blog in awhile. Patron has been very busy preparing an RFP or request for proposal to re-do the website of a local non-profit organization. As I was working on our proposal it got me thinking that some artists may not be aware of what exactly an rfp is or how they can use them to their advantage.

Often times artists are used to making a living by selling their pieces to the general public via art fairs, gallery exhibits, web sales and referral. Searching out rfps is another great source of income that could lead to both paying jobs, large-scale projects and public recognition. Each year there are opportunities for artists to provide concepts for installation art at area universities, corporations and government facilities (just to name a few) as well as, public sculptures, murals, poster designs, and so many more.

One of the best places to begin your search for artist request for proposals is your local arts council. In Indianapolis, where Patron is located, the arts council is www.artscouncilofindianapolis.org. These sites are a great resource for grant opportunities, request for proposals, exhibiting in public areas, upcoming events, contact information for people that can assist you, and artists databases where you can create a profile.

We understand that it can be hard to make a living as an artists which is why we want to help you find any avenue available to create and display your work.

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Jun
13th

New Option For Selling Your Art Through Your Patron Site {by Clay}

I started checking out Etsy’s new developer API yesterday, and I’m feeling pretty good about what I’ve seen.  My original intent with creating Patron’s shops is to develop the entire system in house.  That approach gives us a lot of control over what the shop does and does not do.  The downside is it eats up a lot development time.  Development time that I’d love to spend working on some other cool features to make Patron even easier to use.

There is definitely some overlap between our audience and Etsy’s audience, but in case you aren’t already familiar with Etsy the simplest way I can think to describe it is an hip, stylish version of Ebay that caters to crafters.  Etsy is focused on creating a site and service, and they nail it.  One of the areas they aren’t focusing on, though, is allowing their users to create unique sites to show off their personal style.  Sound like anyone you know?  That’s why we think Patron and Etsy compliment each other beautifully.

Etsy's Developer Community

So the great news here is that you’ll be able to pull the items from your Etsy store directly into your Patron site.  Etsy takes care of the payment processing, the security certificate, and all the other logistics of the sale.  Changing the approach does mean that the shops going live is getting pushed back a few weeks.  Expect to see a roll out in July, though. 

What if I don’t want an Etsy account?

We are still planning on developing an independent shop system into Patron that will not rely on any third-parties.  We expect the option to use Etsy will remain available, but in the future you’ll have the alternative of a proprietary shop.  By using Etsy’s API right now, though, we can give you the opportunity to sell your art on your Patron site, while we continue to add the killer features we’re excited about.

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May
27th

Importance of Online Presence {by karli}

While I was walking around the Broad Ripple Art Fair I was surprised by the number of artists that did not have a web presence of any kind. Some of them were older and a little wary of the internet, some were completly perplexed as to how to go about establishing an online presence, and some did not see the point at all.

In response to those people that do not have an online presence I would say that you must remedy that immediately in any way possible. According to research from Stanford University 60% of people in the United States are online an average of 3 hours a day. That is roughly 90 million people you could be reaching. People today are all about convenience. They use the internet to buy clothes, order a pizza, look up directions and just about anything else you can imagine. To some potential customers, if you do not have a website, you don’t exist.

Don’t miss out on all the potential revenue! There are a number of ways to get your name and art out there for the whole world to see. Here are a few of the more common venues:

Facebook: create a page and a fan club then invite all of your friends on facebook to join your club so that all of their friends see you.

Myspace: Create a page for your business

LinkedIn: This professional network helps you reach people in a more business-like setting

Blogger: Sign up for a free blog and begin documenting your artistic process, shows you are going to be in, inspiration, events, tips, discounts, and anything else that you want to talk about. The more you blog the more people come back to see what you are up to and what you have to say. Blogs aren’t just about your life anymore, they can be about your work and your business.

Twitter: This social networking site has seen tremendous growth since people like Oprah started “tweeting.” It is a way for people to share information in short bursts so as not to overwhelm people with information. You can follow people that you are interested in and post your own tweets on what you are working on.

Flickr: This photo site lets you upload photos of your work that people can browse to get an idea of what your work looks like. You can link to you page and customers can view a slideshow of your work.

And, of course, there is Patron. We want to help you get online as much as anyone. We realize how important it is for artists to reach as many people as possible, but also understand that creating an artist website and shop can be a daunting task. That is why we made our wesbite creator as easy and affordable as possible. When you have a Patron site it is easy to have contact info for potential customers, as well as, a gallery and slideshow of images, shop, and listing of events or galleries where you will be selling your work. We will also list your site in our new links sections so that all of our visitors can check out our artists.

Email us today with any questions and we look forward to seeing you on the internet.

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Apr
22nd

Blurb Book {by karli}

My husband introduced me to this great site, Blurb, which makes it super easy to make nice photo books at a decent price. You download a program to your computer which accesses your photo files and provides you with a number of different page templates and styles. Then you upload the finished product and get it printed. You can also submit your books to be part of their competition. The best ones are chosen to be sold to the public through the blurb website. This is a great way to make nice photo albums of a trip or wedding, or even make one to be used as a printed portfolio.

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Mar
24th

Printed Portfolios {by karli}

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I came across a website today that offers interesting ways to produce portfolios that you can send out to galleries or clients. The company is called Shinebox Print and they specialize in books of cards that have a flap which wraps around all the cards. Each card in the book can have a different front and back image in order to show a variety of your work. You can mail them out as an entire booklet or tear out individual cards and have your contact infomation and Patron gallery address printed on the back. Each large size book is around $17 a piece when you buy 10 and you can view some samples here.

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Mar
12th

Art & Design Resources {by karli}

Since I have spent a great deal of time scanning the internet for the best art and design resources I thought I would share the fruits of my labor. We are all about making life easier here at Patron. Since I am a graphic designer most of these links are design related, but I would be happy to post any of your resources for your medium. Just send them my way. Thanks!

istock :: cheap photos, illustrations, videos and audio. You have to wade through a lot, but you can usually find something useful at a reasonable price.

veer :: the best of the professional stock image and type foundries, in my opinion. Just introduced a marketplace with much cheaper imagery, similar to istock. Also has free downloadable wallpapers for your desk top.

csa images :: fun, vintage illustrations. Lots of usage restrictions, but worth it for that perfect vintage image.

icon buffet :: great network of designers sharing icons and tutorials for making your own icons.

my fonts :: awesome foundry with a lot of independent typographers and a forum to help you identify mystery fonts.

font diner :: nice collection of vintage-style fonts at reasonable prices. Freebies too!

font bros & font haus :: more great type foundries

color lovers :: forum for designers to post their favorite web colors, palettes, and patterns.

dick blick :: anyone who majored in art has probably ordered supplies from Dick Blick, but I thought I would list it here anyway since they have so many items for almost all mediums.

paper source :: amazing resource for artists and designers. Great paper stock you can buy by the sheet to give your handmade business card an advantage over the competiton. If you are in a city where there is a Paper Source store you must check it out! I spend hours there whenever I go to Chicago.

jak prints and vista print :: affordable and decent digital printers. Great for printing gallery opening postcards or brochures.

harvest :: simple time-tracking program for freelance designers

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