How can your art organization benefit from a Public Profile on Artwork Archive?

The Public Profile is an easy way to make your collection and institution more accessible to diverse audiences while increasing engagement with your art collection.

The best part? Your inventory is linked directly to your Public Profile, which means that any artwork updates or new acquisitions will be reflected in your profile—and you are always in charge of which pieces and information to make public.

With a Public Profile on Artwork Archive, Organization Accounts can include not only an Artwork Portfolio, but an About section, curated Collections, highlighted Exhibitions, Artist Profiles, an Interactive Map to show where the works are showing, and a News section to keep readers updated about what is happening at your organization.

It's everything you need to run public engagement for your organization's art collection!

Let's go over each of these features and examples of how art organizations around the world are using the Public Profile to increase engagement and share their collections. 
 

 

A Portfolio Page example on Artwork Archive, Image courtesy of  Mexican Cultural Institute.

Display your art collection with a curated online portfolio

On the Portfolio section of your Public Profile, you can control which artworks to make public from your inventory within Artwork Archive. 

Your Artwork Portfolio page is able to list your entire permanent collection and temporary exhibitions accessible to the public. Yes, this means works that are in storage and out—the public will be able to view it all (if you grant access to those images). 

Being able to display all of your institution's artwork provides insight into your acquisition history and showcases the extensive nature of your artwork collection. Art Museums, like the New-York Historical Society, are turning their storage spaces outward to reflect the ongoing effort to make artwork available to the public. 

Within this display, you can decide upon the order of the artworks by sorting or customizing the order of artworks. Viewers can explore your collection with the search bar or take a deeper dive by searching specific mediums, sizes, or prices across the whole Discovery Platform. 

 

Collections example on the Public Profile, Image courtesy of Van Every Smith Galleries at Davidson College.

Visually categorize your artwork with Collections

The Collections feature allows you to visually categorize the artwork in your inventory for easy organization.

Collections can be used as an educational resource for viewers to gain further insight into your acquisition history by year, institutional interests by subject, or educational resource by type of artwork. 

You also have the ability to include descriptions of each collection—which helps further room for education and engagement with the public.

Collections have a devoted page on your Public Profile and are able to be edited, customized, private or public at any time. 

About Page example on Artwork Archive, Photo courtesy of City of Littleton Public Art.

Share your organization's mission, history, and background 

Tell the story of your art organization by using the About Page to share about your core mission, the key people involved, upcoming projects, and more. 

The more complete your Public Profile is, the more effective it is at getting your collection the exposure it deserves. You can use the About Feature to share your organization's present focuses and future outlook. 

 

An Exhibitions Page example on an Artwork Archive Public Profile. Image courtesy of PIT Arts and Culture.

Bring your art exhibitions online

An Exhibition on the Public Profile can provide online viewers the ability to see your shows from the comfort of their own homes.  Or, you can also curate online-specific exhibitions for the public using the exhibition tools. 

By providing installation shots, video embeds, and other promotional materials on the Exhibition page, you can immerse online viewers in the art that might not be readily accessible to them. 

 

An Artist Profile example on Artwork Archive. Image courtesy of TILA STUDIOS, featuring artist Khalilah Birdsong.

Highlight artists within your collection with artist profiles

Put a spotlight on individual artists that are part of your art collection on the Artist tab on your Public Profile.

Visitors can view related artworks within your collection, as well as their artist bio, artist statement, and website, to learn more about the breadth of your art collection. 

 

 Map View example: Columbus Public Art Collection.

Have viewers explore the collection with an interactive map

Art collections are often spread across multiple floors, buildings, and locations. Let online viewers get a bigger picture of your art collection with an interactive map view of the artwork.

Each artwork —that you choose to be public—can include the address of the piece and a link to Google Map directions. If the work does not have an address (sculptures in a park, murals in an alley), you can include GPS coordinates.

To find out more about interacting with your audience, you can watch this short webinar about how to engage audiences—both on and off campus.

 

News example: Temiskaming Art Gallery.

Give your network updates & news

The News Page on your organization’s Public Profile lets you update your network with upcoming events, shows, or opportunities. You can also post articles, share spotlights and keep up to date with your ongoing outreach.

Looking to learn more about Artwork Archive's Public Profile capabilities?