Heather Diers, owner of Pro Art Framing & Gallery, has been raised in the art world supporting the local art community for over 40 years through her family business. Rickie Long opened Crafts & Creations next door to her two years ago, and an instant friendship was formed.
These two talented creatives realized a bigger need for local artists and knew they could make their website market a reality. Plentitude Art Market is a single site for local artists to build a profile and sell their art online.
“Strengthening the local art community is the goal, we want people to shop Plentitude first,” Long says.
Cutting out a giant third party like Etsy or Amazon, Plentitude is created by local artists for local artists. Creatives can connect with the larger community, offering their wares and even custom commissions. From photographs to portraits, Plentitude has a large variety of art for any enthusiast looking to add to their collection or simply decorate their home with local pieces.
“Another great feature of the website is no shipping hassles,” Long says. “All art will be available at Pro Art Gallery or Crafts & Creations. BOPUS [buy online, pick up in store] is the best answer for local art sales.”
Having one place where many artists can showcase and sell their art is a major need for locals in Johnson County specifically. Art shows do happen and there are markets in the summer, but they are not a constant, nor are they easy settings for artists to sell. Plentitude Art Market is a single, trusted website that is constantly updated by local artists themselves, showcasing new work and offering custom commission pieces.
“When people know how and where to find original artwork to decorate their homes with quality art, artisan decor, and accessory items that will hold their value and truly reflect individual tastes and styles, our local art community will thrive and enrich every aspect of our area cities, towns and communities,” Diers says.
Plentitude Art Market offers a wide range of art includes paintings, portraits, photographs, jewelry and 3D art. Options are limitless as the artists themselves are listing their work directly on the site. The site will be constantly updated by the artists to offer new items and custom options. More options are in the works as well, including print-on-demand art in the future.
The website is in the beginning stages and will include more artists each month. Artists go through an approval process when they apply to list their items on the site, and pay a small fee. Once approved, they can list all their work in one place and be accessible to endless customers. The interactive website allows shoppers to reach out to artists with custom requests or questions. Buyers know exactly who they are buying art from, and that they are supporting local. The personal connection of Plentitude is another connector for the beautiful art community in Johnson County.
“We want to make it possible for appreciative buyers to find individuals creating worthy pieces of art in our local communities,” Diers says.
Summer markets and personal websites are not always great options for artists. Many do not have marketing skills or time to show in local markets. Plentitude Art Market takes care of all the behind-the-scenes work for artists so they can focus on their craft. Artists decide what they want to sell, the price, and when they will post it to the site.
Long and Diers plan to give back financially to the local art community through Plentitude as well.
“We plan to give a portion of each paid professional artist’s profile account to the artist’s designated NFP guild or council when there are five or more members participating with us,” Long says. “The initial amount we’re discussing is $2 per member artist, but that might increase as we assess our ongoing operating budget post-development costs.”
Partnering with other local art endeavors like the Greater Greenwood Arts Council by giving back is important to both Diers and Long, as the main goal for Plentitude is to support the local community. Artists and art lovers joining together to keep the Johnson County art scene flourishing is key. Without the artists and buyers, these businesswomen would be living very different lives.
“We strive to serve the community, hobbyist, therapy art, small groups – everyone is welcome; building community through art at all levels is the goal,” Long says of her shop Crafts & Creations. As next-door business neighbors, a natural bond was formed between these two artists that continues to grow. Working together has become the new normal for these two talented women.
If you are looking for new original art or need to get some holiday gifts, check out plentitudeartmarket.com. Shoppers can browse by style, color or artist name. To stay up to date on happenings with Plentitude, follow on Facebook @plentitudeartmarket, and @plentitude.art.market on Instagram.
Remember that buying local supports local, and that is exactly what Diers and Long plan to keep doing.
Crafts & Creations is located at 3100 Meridian Parke Drive, Suite Y in Greenwood. Pro Art Framing & Gallery is next door in Suite X.
