Artsonia: Commonly Asked Questions — Parents

Q&A General Information and Security:

I am interested in showcasing my child's artwork in Artsonia. What do I do?

Displaying your child's artwork is easy. If your child's school does not participate, you can register on Artsonia and proceed to create a personal gallery for your child. Please visit www.artsonia.com/parents to begin the registration process. If your child already has a screenname on Artsonia, simply log-in as the parent to upload more artwork.

How much does it cost to register with Artsonia?

An Artsonia Membership is FREE and it takes only a few minutes to register.

How do you ensure privacy for my child?

On the Artsonia website, each child is identified only by a screenname which is usually the child's first name and number (e.g., Sarah22). There is no way for any website visitor to find out the identity of the student or to directly contact the student. Artsonia strictly follows all US government regulations on protecting children's privacy on the Internet.

Who owns the copyright of the artwork submitted?

The artwork continues to be the property of the artists and they (or you, the parent, on their behalf) can sell any and all rights to the artwork to any third party if they choose. They also retain the right to ask Artsonia to remove their artwork from its website. For more details, see our Terms and Conditions of Use at www.artsonia.com/terms.asp

Q&A Submitting Artwork:

How do I submit my child's artwork?

Artwork is submitted electronically through the Artsonia website. You will take a digital picture of the artwork, save the image to your computer and then upload the picture to our website. Click here for tips on digitizing artwork.

Do I need to get permission from the school to publish my child's artwork?

As a parent, you are welcome to upload any artwork created by your child. The art you submit will automatically go into your child's personal gallery. There is no school permission needed to publish your child's artwork online, since the artwork remains separated from the school's gallery.

What if I don't have a computer at home?

Consider teaming up with your child's school, asking permission to use the computer in the library or the computer lab. We estimate that the amount of computer time you need to upload 5 pieces of artwork is less than 10 minutes (once you've taken the photographs and saved them).

What kind of artwork can I submit? What if I have 3-D art?

You can display any type of art that reproduces well as a two-dimensional image. This includes (images of) drawings, paintings, any type of three-dimensional craftwork, computer drawings (i.e., artwork created through computer software like Photoshop or Illustrator) etc.

We do impose some restrictions on photographs though: we disallow photographs that contain identifiable human subjects, especially children.

Since the age range of our students is very wide (2 to 18), we disallow artwork that is inappropriate for young audiences. Specifically, we disallow any artwork that depicts nudity or violence.

What if I don't have an email address?

If you do not have an email address there are a number of free email services that you can subscribe to. The most popular ones are Hotmail (www.hotmail.com), Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) and G-Mail (www.gmail.com). Since much of our communication with parents is through email, we strongly recommend that you obtain an email address in order to work effectively with Artsonia.

Q&A Navigating the Site and Visitor Features:

How do I find my child's artwork on the website?

You can search for his/her artwork by entering the screenname in the find artist section of the homepage. Alternatively, you can also find the artwork by typing in the web address: www.artsonia.com/screenname (where is your child's screenname such as Lisa22).

How do I leave a comment for an artist?

Go to the artwork and then click on "Comment on this Artist." (Note: as a parent, you must register to approve the comments before they will be publicly posted on the website.)

How do I enable my child to receive comments on their artwork?

Parents must register and give permission for their child to receive comments on their artwork. After registration, parents will be sent an email to approve each comment that is left for their child.

What is a fan club and how do I add members to it?

Each artist has their own "fan club." Fan club members are friends and relatives who support your child's creativity, receiving emails when new artwork is published by your child. Registered parents are able to "edit" the fan club to include only the names and emails they wish to appear.

For what grades and age levels does Artsonia display artwork?

Artsonia displays artwork of children up to age 18, or through 12th grade.

How long will the artwork be published?

Artwork will remain on Artsonia for as long as the parents and artists want to keep it online.

Q&A Gift Shop and Fundraising:

Can anyone buy custom gifts with my child's own artwork?

If you have registered as the parent on our website, you are giving permission for others (usually family members and friends) to purchase items with your child's artwork featured on it. If you have not registered as the parent, we require the purchaser to tell us that they've obtained explicit permission from you to purchase items. All purchasers must enter a verifiable address in order to receive the gifts.

When I order custom gifts, where does the money go? Does my school get compensated?

Whenever you place an order with Artsonia, 15% of the order is donated back to the school arts program. Not only are you receiving a high-quality keepsake with your child's artwork, but you are also helping the art teacher purchase additional art supplies and other needs for their arts program.

How are your gifts produced?

First of all, before production, a graphic artist manually examines and enhances the artwork to achieve the best image reproduction possible on the gifts. Secondly, our gifts are produced using the state-of-the-art Dye Sublimation process that uses a special ink that evaporates and deposits itself inside the material of the gift item. As a result, in most cases, we can achieve excellent color reproduction and durability - the colors will not fade, flake or chip. We also use the highest quality materials in order to make the finest products possible.

We do however ask that you examine the artwork on the website before you order. Sometimes, the image submitted to us is too blurry or of poor quality that just cannot be enhanced. In those cases, please use your judgment before you order. We will try to do our best to achieve the best quality of merchandise that we can given the picture quality.

I know other parents who would love Artsonia, how can I get them involved?

If you are enjoying your experience with Artsonia, please consider telling your friends and neighbors! Encourage them to become members (send them email with a link to your child's gallery or send them an e-Card). Or write to Artsonia at info@artsonia.com for brochures that you can send to your friends. Depending on your time and interest, you can also do the following: (a) consider requesting Artsonia brochures and distributing them to other parents within your community (b) consider giving a talk or presentation at the school's next parent meeting (if you need our help, write to us at info@artsonia.com), or (c) consider authoring an article on your Artsonia experience for newsletters and/or magazines aimed at parents and the arts (again, we can provide you with more information and company details, on request).