Pioneer Valley Arts

This is a business project that has been shelved for lack of time and budget.

The idea is simple. ETSY has failed in its vision of being a conduit between creators and consumers.

The solution is a website devoted to the  PIONEER VALLEY and its various ARTISTS, from fiber-arts, painters, potters to sculptors, writers and actors.

The reason ETSY failed, and any geographically-open project of its kind will also fail, is because the consumer needs to feel a sense of connection to the artist for the art to have any true meaning.

This is the power of staying Local.  We limit our site to artists that live and work in the valley and we make sales easier (Free Shipping, Local Discounts) for local consumers.

This can't just be a site with nice things.  It has to be more, and it will be.

The focus isn't on the PRODUCT, the focus is on the ARTIST.  We start with a listing of ARTISTS by art, style, image, media...

When the visitor lands on an artists page, they are presented with an Introduction video and statement from the artist, along with access to videos of the artist making various objects or performing.  Only after "getting to know" the artist, are you then presented with a manicured list of products already created and available for sale.

An Alternative option is to add the PIONEER VALLEY MUG OF THE SEASON CLUB to this project, where people join a YEARLY subscription service which sends 1 local-made mug 4x a year, with the seasons.  This would become a very big hit and could be extended to all sorts of products.  The Subscription service model helps guarantee the artist income, and gives them promises of future income as well as broader introductions to the community.

I do have the Domain secured.