Simple website service for artist

June 19, 2023 3:42 AM

A friend who is a painter wants a website, and we're looking for something that will be very easy for a not-very-technical person to update, and is well suited to showcasing art. They currently only use Instagram but an actual website seems like a useful thing to have in addition, long-term.

The answer might be "Just use Squarespace" but I'm wondering if there's a service that's focused specifically on the requirements of artists. He has a domain name we'll use, he doesn't mind paying for the service, and I can help him with the initial set-up of the site.

I'm not exactly sure what artist-specific features there might be, but I guess:

• Templates that show off a work well, maybe with multiple images for the same painting (close-ups etc)
• Easy way to group works into themes/series
• Easy way to list exhibitions

I realise Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, etc could do all this, but the simpler and more specific-to-artists'-needs the better. Being able to sell works through the site might be useful one day, but it's not a current requirement.

Some services I've found while Googling, which I know little about:

• Format – from US$8/month
• Cargo – from US$14/month
• Artlogic – quite sales-focused, from US$50/month

All look interesting, but I'm keen to hear anyone's experiences of these or other services. UK-based is a slight bonus but not essential at all.

posted by fabius to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

I've had great success with creating websites with Wix as an amateur. If you go to their template library and type "artist" into the search bar and a handful of beautiful templates show up that would be easy for your friend to edit and maintain.

The nice thing about Wix is, that you could start off with a simple website for now, then have the option to add eCommerce tools later on without the need to switch providers or add on third-party services.

Not an affiliate, just a happy user.
posted by Fallbala at 3:57 AM on June 19, 2023

Best answer: I’m a filmmaker and I use Fabrik ($11/month) to show off the portfolio for a small production company my colleague and I recently started.

Much like Cargo, which was the other site builder I considered, Fabrik is oriented toward those in the visual arts, with a good set of templates for novices and also some capacity for customization. I’m not sure about its potential for e-commerce since I use it only as a portfolio. It allows for easy linking to IG and other social media.
posted by theory at 4:58 AM on June 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I would recommend Cargo. They've existed a long time; focus on visual arts; and seem now to have a commerce integration.
posted by dame at 6:40 AM on June 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Another possibility is only buy a domain name, and forward it to their instagram URL.
posted by kschang at 7:15 AM on June 19, 2023

22slides is good for this type of thing.

https://22slides.com/
posted by sewellcm at 11:44 AM on June 19, 2023

Magix Web Designer is a windows program that is a bit more intuitive than wordpress. You can use it with any webhosting.
posted by Sophont at 12:16 PM on June 20, 2023