On November 14, 2010 we sat down for 24 straight hours and launched theartmarket.ca on november 15, 2010! After pouring our hearts, and occasional tears into theartmarket.ca, we have learned a few things during this past year…
 

1. There is so much more than meets the eye to building a website. From legal, to copywriting, content gathering and making customized buttons, all while maintaining our vision and integrity – it’s hard! We literally have pieces of paper with pages of our site hand drawn on it, and are thankful for the fantastic, and hard work that Sara Spencer, and New Earth Marketing have produced for us along the way.

2. It surprises us every time when we tell people about theartmarket.ca, and how many people actually want to support the arts, but have no idea where to begin. They’re afraid to say the ‘wrong’ thing and look stupid, and don’t know the basic knowledge that we take for granted in the arts community. E.g. “I have my ball gown all ready for the auction tonight,” Or “Aren’t gallery openings invite only? Besides, I don’t have $20,000 to spend on a piece of original art so I may as well go to IKEA.” True story people!

3. FRamED! We should have started our blog a long time ago! It’s been a great way to connect with everyone, share stories, and cover some really cool events. We also have a roster of great, upcoming guest bloggers and blog ideas! If you would like to write a blog for us or have an idea for one we should “FRamE,” please email us at ideas@theartmarket.ca.

4.  There are so many great artists and events that fly under the radar! we noticed that there are so many great events, artists, and organizations that don’t see enough traffic and support.

5. Meeting people on Twitter, Facebook and via email is only the first step in building great relationships. Like everything else in the art world, the best relationships are the ones that flourish offline.

 
After one year, we’re able to look back and see all that we’ve accomplished, and are more excited than ever about the great opportunities that lay ahead of us. We’ve received so much support and feedback regarding the always-evolving theartmarket.ca.
 
By pausing and looking back over this last year, we are so thankful for all of the support we have received. But what we are really grateful for are that people are engaged enough and excited enough about the positive changes we’re trying to make within the Canadian art market that they are willing to give us feedback to continue evolving our site to make it the best it can be.
 
We know why we created theartmarket.ca – to bridge a gap within a disconnected community.  With every new connection we make, we are narrowing the divide, but there is still much work to be done. At times this has felt like an uphill battle, but one that is worth fighting for. So, we hope you are as excited as we are going into this second year.
 
sincerely and honestly, Thank you.
 
Kate + Merete