How to Join NMPCA Studio Tour

New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists
How to Join the NMPCA Studio Tour

If you are a member of NMPCA, you can join the studio tour. It's easy, low cost, and provides an excellent reference to your work on the internet. In addition to being accessible from the NMPCA website, www.nmpotters.org, we also have the unique address: www.claystudiotour.com. Here are some benefits of joining the studio tour:

1	Your work is available to view on the internet so you can refer friends, family, buyers, and the general public. You can list the NMPCA Studio Tour on your business card.
2	If you have a website, the studio tour can link to your site, providing greater coverage and increasing your chances of being found through search engines.
3	You help show visitors to the NMPCA site, the breadth and depth of pottery and clay art available through members.
4	The studio tour is linked to common visitor sites and search engines, so that knowledge of your work and increased sales can result. Many people use the internet to research their vacations, so an internet presence is good advertising, if you are selling your work.

Cost of having a page in the Studio Tour is $15/year and, starting in 2008, includes up to eight images.
The new format shows up to eight thumbnails at the top of your page and one big image in the middle. One of the 8 big pictures will appear at random when the page first loads. The viewer can click on each thumbnail to see the larger image and your description.
Here's how you get started:

1. Prepare your images and information.

2. Send the images and information via email attachments to Judy Nelson-Moore, the NMPCA Webmaster, at jnm@nmpotters.org. Specifications for the images and information are below. If your images are too large to send as email attachments (over 3mb) then contact the webmaster for instructions.

3. Send a check for $15 to NMPCA to the membership director, Betsy Williams, P.O. Box 518, Dixon NM 87527-0518. If you are not already a member, but want to participate in the studio tour, please include $20 for your annual dues in 2008, $25 starting in 2009.

Specifications
Images Provide as digital jpg files.	Prepare up to 8 digital images of your work. You can also include one of yourself in your studio. Knowing what you look like gives people a more personalized view in the virtual studio tour. The images must be digital, and professional quality. We reserve the right to reject images that are not high quality. If you do not have digital images, you can have slides or pictures scanned at professional photography processors or commercial services. If you cannot get digital images, contact the Webmaster for suggestions.
	Work should be shot against a plain background, preferable gradated. The images should reflect RGB color balance to accurately portray your work, be clear and cropped appropriately. Crop the images close to the work...you don't want to waste valuable page real-estate on backgrounds. Size the file between 400-500 pixels tall and up to 600 pixels wide. It works best if they are all the same height. Webmaster will create thumbnails unless you want to do so...100px high for page thumbnail and one at 80px high for the main index page.
Information Provide as one or more text documents.	Contact Information: Name, address, phone number, email address, and website address. Let the webmaster know if there is any of this information you DO NOT want listed on the site. If you sell your work, include information about where to find your work (names of shops, galleries, etc.) and how to arrange for a studio visit. If you are listing shops, galleries, etc., be sure to include the address for their website so people can link to get address and phone information.
	Description of each of the photos, including name of the piece, size, firing method, price (optional), and any other information that you think would be interesting to the viewer.
	A short artist's statement describing your method of working, inspiration, or information to make you interesting to the viewers. The statement should be approximately 250 words, 3-5 paragraphs, in a narrative style.

The webmaster will communicate with you via email or telephone when your page is complete. You will not be linked to the active studio tour until the treasurer has received your check.

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