What Should an Artist Website Include?

You've decided it's time for a proper artist website — one that does your work justice and doesn't rely on an algorithm to be seen. But when you sit down to plan it, the question comes quickly: what actually goes on it?

The good news is that the best artist websites aren't the busiest ones. They're the ones that answer a visitor's questions quickly: Who is this artist? What does their work look like? Can I buy it, see it, or get in touch? Here are the essential pages and features every artist website should include, and why each one earns its place.

1. A Portfolio That Puts the Work First

Your portfolio is the heart of your website, and everything else supports it. Visitors — whether they're collectors, curators, or gallery directors — will judge your site within seconds, and what they want to see is the art.

A strong portfolio page includes high-quality images photographed in good, even light, along with the details people expect: title, medium, dimensions, year, and price or availability. Organise works into collections or series if your practice spans different bodies of work, and resist the urge to show everything you've ever made. A tightly curated selection of your strongest pieces will always outperform an exhaustive archive.

2. An Artist Bio and Statement

After the work itself, your "About" page is usually the most visited page on an artist website. People who like what they see want to know the person behind it.

There are really two pieces of writing here. Your artist bio covers the facts — where you're based, your training or background, notable exhibitions, awards, and collections that hold your work. Your artist statement goes deeper, describing what drives your practice: your themes, materials, and the questions your work explores.

Write both in plain, warm language. Collectors don't need academic art-speak; they need to feel a connection. And include a good photo of yourself or your studio — it builds trust and makes the page feel human.

3. A CV or Exhibition History

If you exhibit regularly, a dedicated CV or exhibitions page signals that you're a working, professional artist. List solo and group exhibitions, residencies, prizes, publications, and commissions, with the most recent first.

It's worth keeping upcoming shows visible too. A section for current and future exhibitions gives returning visitors a reason to check back, and shows galleries and curators that your practice is active. Ideally your website should make this easy to maintain, automatically moving shows from "upcoming" to "past" so the page never looks out of date.

4. A Way to Buy (or Enquire)

Even if selling isn't your main goal, your website should make it effortless for someone to take the next step. That might be full e-commerce — with prices, a cart, and secure checkout — or a simple "enquire about this work" button that sends you an email.

If you do sell online, clarity is everything. Show the price, state whether the work is framed, explain shipping, and mark sold works as sold (a red dot works online too — sold works are social proof). Selling directly from your own site also means you keep the full sale price rather than losing a commission to a marketplace.

5. A Contact Page That's Easy to Find

It sounds obvious, but plenty of artist websites bury their contact details. A curator with a deadline or a collector with a question won't hunt for them. Include a simple contact form or a clearly displayed email address, links to your social media, and — if you're represented — your gallery's details.

6. A Mailing List Signup

Social media reach comes and goes, but an email list is an audience you own. A simple newsletter signup — "Get invitations to my exhibitions and first look at new work" — quietly builds your most valuable marketing asset. Collectors who join your list are the people most likely to buy in future, so give them the option on every page, not just one.

7. News, Workshops, or a Blog (Optional but Powerful)

Not every artist needs a blog, but a news section earns its keep in two ways. First, it gives visitors reasons to return — new work, upcoming exhibitions, studio updates, press mentions. Second, it helps people find you in the first place: fresh, relevant content is one of the biggest factors in how search engines rank your site.

If you teach, a workshops or classes page belongs here too. For many artists, workshops are a significant income stream, and your website is the natural place to promote and take bookings for them.

The Foundations Underneath It All

A few things won't appear in your navigation menu but matter just as much: a clean, uncluttered design that lets the art lead; a site that works beautifully on mobile, where more than half of your visitors will arrive; your own domain name (yourname.com looks far more professional than a free subdomain); and basic SEO — page titles and image descriptions that help collectors find you when they search your name or your style of work.

Bringing It All Together

An artist website doesn't need to be complicated. A curated portfolio, an engaging bio, an up-to-date exhibition history, a clear path to purchase or enquire, and a way to stay in touch — get those right and your website becomes what it should be: a professional home for your practice that works for you around the clock.