Archiving Artwork Inventory
I’ve had hundreds of conversations with artists over the past year, and one topic that came up repeatedly was inventory. What was funny is there wasn’t just one reason for having artwork archived as everyone had very different needs. Here are some of the examples of why having a list of your work is useful:
Make sure I don’t give any two paintings the same name
Look up a paintings’ year of creation for a publication
Check what pricing I had for a painting a year ago as I decide on prices for the upcoming year
Track paintings I have on exhibition in multiple locations
See where I have shipped locations in the past
And there are many more. You can keep your list of archives as simple as possible i.e. name, price, buyer, but the more details you can add, the more value it can add for you. Let’s take pricing for example. The more information you have on your past pricing, it can make it easier for you to increase and adjust your pricing accordingly.
So now you’re thinking, how do I keep track of my artwork archive? Well look no further, we have multiple solutions for you here.
Free Solution
Based on our work with artpreneurs such as yourself, I have created a very simple Google Sheets template.
Click here to open the Google Sheet, and click on Make a Copy. This will open a separate copy that you own in your Google Drive. Then start entering information into your new spreadsheet and edit away!
Paid Solutions
There are many software solutions out there that can make your inventory life easier. All of these platforms have a lot of different features, including online viewing rooms, website builders, project management, etc. So it’s up to you what extent you’d like to use them.
Here are the solutions that came up in our search online!
Artwork Archive - https://www.artworkarchive.com/
Artwork archive is well known and has been around since 2011. As is hinted in the name, it allows you to track your archive of artwork. It has a setup where you can input all of the details of your artwork. Prices start at $8 for having 100 pieces stored, and you can upgrade to 500 pieces for $16.
Note: It was reported in 2021 that Artwork Archive had confidential information related to customers exposed. According to reports at the time, no data was stolen or viewed outside of a third-party security company. The company stated that this was an anomalous event considering their stance on security and privacy. We feel the need to inform our community of this so they are aware of this past event and can make their own decisions when considering Artwork Archive.
ArtLook - https://www.artlooksoftware.com
A UK based company, ArtLook applies no limit to the amount of artwork you can archive. Prices for artists are £6 per month, or £5 per month if you pay annually.
Primer Archives - https://www.primerarchives.com
Similar to Artlook, Prime Archives allows you to keep unlimited records at a price of $45 per month. They also have an app so you can use the platform on your iPhone/iPad along with your PC/Mac.
