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Blue Ridge ArtSpace to Offer Workshop on “How to Build Your Artists’ Website” November 9

The Blue Ridge ArtSpace regularly offers a variety of workshops, classes, and lessons in everything from painting to violin. Generally, these are aimed at offering opportunities for anyone from four to ninety-four to participate in and enjoy the arts. But periodically they also offer workshops designed to help artists be more successful.  

Sophia Ojha

Virtually every business has a website, and, in fact, it’s come to be expected. Believe it or not, an artist who earns income from their art is also a business. So why wouldn’t they have a website to showcase what they do?   For those artists who do not yet have a website, or for those who want a more updated or more easily managed website, the Blue Ridge ArtSpace is offering “How to Build Your Artists’ Website: Get Started with Ease” led by Sophia Ojha (pronounced OH-jah). This workshop will take place on Saturday, November 9th from 9am until 1pm and the cost is a mere $35. Only twelve spaces are available, so advance registration is recommended. This workshop is specifically geared towards artists in the fine and performing arts such as painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, actors, crafts-makers as well as authors and creatives of all kinds.

In this four-hour workshop, you will learn how to set up the four most important pages of your website and launch your site by the end of the session! You do not need to know how to code or have a design background. Through the platform that we will be using (called Squarespace) you will choose a template with Sophia’s help for your website goals. She will show you how to add text content on your About page, how to add photos to a gallery, how to create the top and bottom navigation links. And best of all, you don’t have to know any code. That is because we will be using a drag and drop website builder so you can build out your layouts by adding in what are called “content blocks” to your page. Want to link to your Facebook account? Use the social media block. Want people to send you a message? Use a contact form block. Want to add images of your work? Use the gallery block. You will also learn how to add other features such as buttons, links, a contact form, and events calendar.

Sophia will teach you the foundations of building a webpage. Once you know how to build one page, you can build as many as you like. But we will focus on the four most important pages: Home, About, Contact, Blog or Gallery. If you are a writer, a blog is essential, while as a visual artist, a gallery may be more suitable. By the end of the workshop not only will you be comfortable using the website platform, but you will have your four most important pages completed and you will be ready to launch your website. You will see how with a little guidance you can do a lot.

Do bring your laptop as this will be a hands-on workshop and you might want to bring along some snacks because it is a four-hour-long immersive event.

The instructor for the workshop, Sophia Ojha, is a Web Designer based in Watauga County. As the only Squarespace Authorized Trainer in Western North Carolina, she will give you a live demonstration on how to start your new website. If you’ve been wanting an easy-to-use website to showcase your work and even sell your creations, then this workshop is for you. Sophia helps online entrepreneurs and small businesses turn their websites into a revenue-generating asset so they can serve others with integrity and realize their dreams. She publishes a weekly newsletter called Squarespace Tips and has created an online resource of over 75 blogs and videos on her website and freely available on YouTube. Squarespace Fundamentals and Create a Website that Converts are two 90-minute online workshops that she offers to those wanting to learn the Squarespace platform and take their websites to the next level. Get free weekly tips at www. sophiaojha.com/squarespace-tips.   She can also be emailed at so@sophiaojha.com.

To register for this 4-hour workshop which will take place at the Blue Ridge ArtSpace on Saturday, November 9th, go to www.watauga-arts.org and look for the “workshop” tab. You may also call 828-264-1789 to register by telephone.  Additional information about the workshop can be found at https://www.sophiaojha.com/artists-workshop.