The Art of an Organized business

Want to add another hour to your day? Maybe even a few days to your year? Yes, please. Using an art management tool has done that for me.

There was a time when I could keep track of everything in my head. I knew the name of every painting, where it was, where it had been, and who had seen it. Fast forward four years—and now I can occasionally “misplace” a painting in my own studio. Somewhere along my early art journey, I took a 12-week course on building an art business. I learned a lot, but the single most impactful takeaway was discovering an inventory system called Artwork Archive. I’ve been an advocate ever since—and I’m still surprised by how many artists haven’t heard of it.

So, why do I love it? Let me count the ways.

First, it’s so much better than a spreadsheet. You get a complete history of every piece—locations, juried shows, exhibitions, sales, and more—without the headache.

When tax time rolls around, you can run a sales report in about 30 seconds. Enough said.

You can create private online “galleries” to share with clients and collectors, which instantly elevates your professionalism. Art labels? Easy to create and print. No website? Artwork Archive can generate a clean, shareable URL so clients can view your work online.

It also helps you track submissions to art fairs and exhibitions, keeps all your important documents (artist bio, statement, CV) in one place, and sends weekly reminders for upcoming deadlines and events—because remembering everything is overrated.

And yes, it’s affordable.

These are tools I use regularly, but they keep adding more. This year they introduced Calls for Entry, which I’m very excited about. I’m not a fan of some of the other platforms out there, so having this feature integrated is a win. I’ll be using it both as an artist and as a gallery.

I hope this doesn’t sound like a commercial—I’m just so enthusiastic about a tool that has been a total game changer for me. If getting organized is on your list for 2026, this is a great place to start.