Budding artists will soon get the chance to exhibit their work free of charge on Grahamstown’s first online art gallery.
CampusArt.co.za, an initiative started by Rhodes students as part of a Management project, will allow emerging or unrecognised artists to submit their work and use the website as an online agent without having to pay a cent.
Budding artists will soon get the chance to exhibit their work free of charge on Grahamstown’s first online art gallery.
CampusArt.co.za, an initiative started by Rhodes students as part of a Management project, will allow emerging or unrecognised artists to submit their work and use the website as an online agent without having to pay a cent.
“The concept behind Campus Art came about because students who’re studying art never really get a chance to make a name for themselves or make money from their work,” says Matt Collins, one of the group members.
Collins explains that people who are interested in exhibiting their art on the website need only email the group, send in photographs of their work and stipulate a selling price and for how long they would like their work to be displayed online.
The group will then decide whether the work is worth being exhibited, add their commission to the price and publish an image of the artwork online.
“While you don’t have to be a buzz-artist at the time, it isn’t just a case of doing a doodle and putting it up,” says Collins, explaining that the group is looking to introduce quality art by up-and-coming artists.
“There have been online art galleries but we realised that everyone being exhibited was recognised and had some kind of national awards.
We want to market emerging artists and student art is often at the cusp of innovation,” Collins says. “While the art is on the site, we become the exclusive agent of the artist but they do keep hold of the art.
If it sells, we organise a courier which the buyer later pays for and pass along the art once payment is made,” says Collins. The group then pays the artist for the work and keeps whatever is left over.
For now, Collins and the group will be exhibiting art by students and people in Grahamstown but are planning to extend their business plan to other campuses in the country.
“We’re really looking for the big corporate companies to see students’ work online and think of how good it would look in the foyers of their buildings,” he says.
The website http:// campusart.co.za was formally launched last week with a physical exhibition on the Union Lawns at Rhodes on Friday.
