Thursday, July 9, 2009
A team of local alumni have developed a Web site that gives aspiring artists a chance to make a name for themselves.
Ian Spomer, 2006 graduate, launched Artocrats.com last week, a Web site that allows unknown artists to gain publicity and make extra money by selling their art on the Web.
Photo Gallery
Art by Paul Flinders
Artocrats.com takes free submissions from any artist. Artists do not submit their original pieces, but digital images or reproductions of their art. The user community, including artists, then votes for its favorite piece of artwork. At the end of the month, when the votes are tallied, the developers buy the artwork with the most votes from the artist for $300.
The $300 buys the developers the licensing rights to the work. The developers then produce limited edition prints of the submissions by printing 100 copies. The prints are then divided into two groups: One group is sent out automatically to Web site users who have purchased a monthly membership for $75; the other is available to anyone interested in buying the work for $35 a print, said Spomer.
“We strongly believe that a company like ours could only have come out of a community like the one we have here in Lawrence,” Spomer said. “It is a place where we have a very high number of artists per capita.”
Local artists such as Paul Flinders, 2008 graduate from the School of Fine Arts, said he was excited to have his artwork posted on the site.
“It will give exposure to my work to a much larger audience,” Flinders said, “The clientele gets print of the work and the artists in return get paid.”
Shannon Tygard, Leawood senior, came to the University to study graphic design. She has since switched her degree to elementary education, but said she still enjoyed oil painting on the side.
“This is a great opportunity for me to get my artwork out there,” Tygard said, “I am taking an art class right now in Kansas City. I love that this site is not just for artists, but for average people like you and me that love art.”
For now the Web site is only used on a local level, but at the end of July the team will launch its national campaign toward non-artists and potential members, Spomer said.
“We envision this site as being an excellent place for talented up-and-coming or lesser-known artists to gain national exposure,” Spomer said. “We plan to continue to add more features in our efforts to build the best art community on the internet.”
— — Edited by David Ugarte
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