Open Studios
CAMBRIDGE ARTS OPEN STUDIOS 2020
An Online Marketplace
October 3 – December 31, 2020
Cambridge Arts Open Studios is going online for 2020. This city-wide online art marketplace celebrates the creative work of visual and performing artists in Cambridge. See all the creativity that is Cambridge.
Coming soon, the online marketplace will launch October 3, 2020!
Calling Cambridge Artists!
Registration and Information for Artists
We are excited to announce that thanks to your input and ideas, Cambridge Arts Open Studios will present a new, creative way to connect Cambridge artists with the local community. We know our artist community is struggling this year, and we want to do everything we can to support our local artists and find new ways for Cambridge artists to connect with the broader community.
This year, Open Studios will be presented as an online marketplace, running from Oct. 3 – Dec. 31, 2020. Not only will this option make sure we can follow public health recommendations, it will also launch a collective online platform for artists to sell and promote their work to local audiences, and the longer run will capture the holiday shopping season in addition to the traditional fall date. Here is an overview of our plan for this year's Open Studios.
Cambridge Arts Open Studios: Online Marketplace
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Format: The Open Studios Online Marketplace will be a web page on the Cambridge Arts site with an online shopping center for art in Cambridge. Artists will submit images of the pieces they would like to sell and all relevant details about the work. Artists can submit new work to list on the site throughout the run of the program as pieces sell.
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Financial Transactions: Cambridge Arts will process all sales through the site with a slight markup to cover the website and transaction fees. Cambridge Arts will take no commission beyond the necessary fees. When artwork sells, Cambridge Arts will process the transaction and mail a check to the artist for the piece.
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Artwork Pickup: Artwork will be available for pickup by appointment only, either from the artist's home/studio, or from the Cambridge Arts office. If artists would like Cambridge Arts to manage the pickups, they will need to deliver artwork to Cambridge Arts by appointment.
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Timing: The Online Marketplace will launch the original weekend of Open Studios (Oct. 3-4), and run through the end of the year to capture the holiday season.
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Online Promotion: We will market the Online Marketplace first as part of the Open Studios effort this year, and then again for holiday shopping. This year we will advertise online only, and will use social media and our website to share digital content featuring artists to draw attention to the Online Marketplace, and share engaging arts content with Cambridge communities. Promotional content will depend on what artists are interested in doing, but based on the survey it looks like we could do a mix of some Facebook/Instagram live artist demos, zoom artist talks, and pre-recorded studio tour videos, as well as artist highlights and brief "about the artist" pages on the Online Marketplace.
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Artist Participation: Registration will be free for all artists participating.
Artists will be responsible for:
• Sharing the Online Marketplace and promotion efforts with their networks
• Packing any sold artwork and arranging for pickup by appointment either from their studio or home, or by delivering to Cambridge Arts (also by appointment) for pickup from our offices
• Submitting images and all related information for pieces to be sold on the Online Marketplace
• Submitting a head shot and an "about the artist" blurb for their section on the Online Marketplace
We hope you will participate in this new version of Open Studios! All artists can participate entirely for free this year, and we hope that this will provide a safe way for our arts community to connect with the broader Cambridge communities. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the program, we welcome your input!
REGISTRATION
To register for the Open Studios Online Marketplace, please complete this form:
https://forms.gle/cQpJq3N72R7xs3vu7
Registration for the Online Marketplace will be accepted on a rolling basis. If you would like to be included in the website's launch on Oct. 3 please register by Thursday, Sept. 17.
If you would like more information on presenting your work online, please
see this guide created by the Cambridge Arts Open Studios Advisory Committee.