MN Artists Changes: Discontinue Artist Profiles

Have you heard that mnartists.org is going through some changes? One of which is that Mn Artists will discontinue artist profiles at the end of 2020. Artists and arts organizations that maintain profiles on mnartists.org should download any necessary content or transition to a new artist website before the end of the year. Mn Artists’ new digital publishing platform is planned to launch in early 2021, at which time the current database will be unavailable.

Southwest Minnesota Arts Council would like to take this time to invite you to complete an Artist Profile for our Artist Registry on the website, if you haven’t yet. Your SMAC Artist Profile can serve as a free digital artist profile for your networking purposes. SMAC created the artist registry because we often have individuals or organizations looking for contact information of artist with specific skills, but we are not allowed to give out their contact information freely. Our artist registry takes us out as the “middle” contact and lets artists promote their services and skills available. You must reside in the 18 counties of SW MN to register, ensuring that we support and promote artists within our region. Take a look here: https://swmnarts.org/registry-of-artists/

If you would like to see a sample of a finished artist profile, you may visit our Marketing Coordinator, Krystl Louwagie, page here: https://swmnarts.org/user/krystlocity/

Our registry is still in its beginning stages and we need YOU to make it work! We have also created an Art Organization registry where we hope, once organizations have created profiles, artists of all disciplines will be able to easily find where they can go to for performance venue opportunities, gallery spaces, artisan gift shop opportunities, and more!

More about mnartists.org ‘s changes:

Mn Artists was initiated by the Walker Art Center and the McKnight Foundation in 2001 as a venue for Minnesota artists of all disciplines and career stages to share their work online and connect to each other. A social network that launched years before the advent of social media, the initiative was forward-thinking in its digital strategy and responsive to the current needs of working artists. Mn Artists provided a free resource for over 30,000 artist and arts organization users for 20 years, with over a million site visitors annually. We thank everyone who contributed to this lively community, and the McKnight Foundation for their support of the project for two decades.

As both digital media and the Minnesota arts landscape have evolved, the Walker Art Center is refocusing its commitment to the regional artist community. Mn Artists will concentrate its efforts on a current gap in the local arts ecosystem: the need for more rigorous, responsive arts writing. Through Mn Artists, the Walker will leverage its position as an international, interdisciplinary contemporary art center to forge connections between locally-rooted artistic practices and broader conversations in contemporary art, while spotlighting the rigor and vitality of the local arts scene.

FAQ:

Which parts of the site will be discontinued?

Artist profiles and organization profiles will be discontinued. Content created by those users will likewise not be maintained, including the database of artworks and the events calendar.

Which parts of the site will continue to be supported?

Mn Artists will continue to commission and publish original arts writing. The archive of commissioned writings will be transitioned to the new site and maintained in full, as a record of the Minnesota arts scene going back to 2004. Mn Artists will continue to curate and publish artist opportunities, including calls for artists, residencies, grants, arts jobs, and more.

I have an artist profile on mnartists.org. What do I need to do?

We recommend that all users check their profile at some point during 2020, to make sure there is no information that you haven’t backed up elsewhere. We expect that users typically maintain their own archive of images, work samples information, and resume information, so if you have all of this information saved elsewhere, you don’t need to take any action.

My artist profile on mnartists.org serves as my primary website. What should I do?

If you want to maintain a web presence for your artistic practice, you will need to move to a new platform by the end of 2020. We’ve prepared a resource guide with many free and affordable options for building an artist website, and tips for choosing the best platform to showcase your work. Mn Artists staff can answer questions about archiving your information from your Mn Artists profile, but we cannot offer support for other services. We will send additional reminders later in the year, but this announcement should give users ample time to transition their digital strategy.

What else is happening in 2020?

Onsite at the Walker Art Center, there are three upcoming Mn Artists Presents: [Your Name Here] programs, guest curated by Maia Maiden, Annie Dugan, and Alison Bergblom Johnson. Mn Artists will continue publishing series of articles designed by rotating guest editors through the end of the year. More information about Mn Artists’ future publishing model will be announced at the end of 2020.

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