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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThese 21 artist websites are a curated inspiration list, not an official Squarespace ranking. Use them to study how an art portfolio can lead with a signature image, organize work into series, or make a clear path to commissions, sales, or contact. Website designs and platform use can change, so confirm each site’s current presentation before treating it as a live Squarespace example.
How to use this list
There is no single authoritative “best” list. SiteBuilderReport’s independent collection, updated October 2, 2026, includes 27 examples; Create Today’s collection, updated August 16, 2026, includes 38 and discloses affiliate links. Squarespace’s own guides feature five examples apiece. These collections differ in scope and editorial selection, so the 21 examples below are a practical shortlist, not a platform-certified ranking or a performance comparison.
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The available descriptions support a handful of named artists as useful starting points, but do not provide enough verified, current site-by-site detail to responsibly describe 21 live websites. Rather than pad the list with unverified names or imply firsthand inspection, this guide focuses on the documented examples and the design decisions they illustrate. Independent lists can help you discover candidates, but check the live site and platform before relying on a specific example.
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Artist website examples and what their layouts show
Samantha Keely Smith: make one work the opening statement
SiteBuilderReport describes Smith’s homepage as featuring a full-page painting. A single large work can establish mood immediately and suit a practice whose images reward close attention. It also makes the first screen less useful for visitors who want to browse a range, so provide an obvious route to the full body of work.
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Jason Arkles: pair the work with the practice
SiteBuilderReport identifies Arkles as a sculptor and teacher. That combination points to a portfolio need that is broader than a wall of images: visitors may want to explore sculpture while also finding information about instruction. Separate paths for work and teaching help each audience reach the relevant details without competing with the portfolio.
Jessica Chou and Jingna Zhang: let photography lead
SiteBuilderReport identifies Chou and Zhang as photographers. Photography portfolios benefit from clear image-led browsing, with categories or projects that help visitors move through a body of work rather than encounter an undifferentiated stream. The source identifies their medium but does not establish detailed current layouts, so treat them as discovery leads rather than claims about specific live-site features.
Vanessa Chakour and Alex Tran: explore independent examples critically
Both artists appear in SiteBuilderReport’s collection. The collection offers a starting point for exploring artist-site approaches, but its inclusion alone does not verify a site’s current platform, layout, or business functions. Inspect the live pages before drawing a design lesson from either example.
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Squarespace’s art portfolio guide describes several contrasting approaches. Montclaire uses a gallery-like grid that puts individual works first. Talva uses a looser grid suited to artists who prioritize client booking. Spotted uses large imagery for high-impact work, with fewer pieces on display. Kester combines a work-focused homepage with contact, shop, blog, and social destinations. Toledo demonstrates a compact one-page starting portfolio. These are examples of different priorities, not a universal ranking.
Choose a portfolio structure that suits the work
Squarespace documents three useful ways to present work: portfolio pages, gallery sections, and image blocks. Its Help Center describes portfolio pages as a two-tier structure, with a landing page leading to individual projects. Gallery sections group images by subject, theme, or series; image blocks spotlight individual images. Choose based on how visitors should browse, not just on which layout looks attractive in a template preview.
Rank #2
- Heavy duty artist portfolio bag - made of durable canvas, multi-function storage pockets for stretched canvas, canvas panels, paint brushes, drawing pad, pens, pencils, sketching papers, and other art supplies. Suitable for artist, teachers, plein-air artist and adults.
- Versatile art portfolio bag - 1 main bag can fit in size 18”x24”thin pads, panels. 1 long easel pocket(approx 23”long). 1 small pouch, 1 large pouch, 1 mesh pocket.
- Quality and Durable art bag - the portfolio bag is made of soft canvas, but they are also durable, no “hard feelings” while carrying. Extra padded backpack straps relieve carrying stress. Double-zipper design for the main compartment, more practical.
- Simple and practical. This artist backpack can be use as tote bag and backpack.
- Overall dimension: 26”x 19.5”.
- Use project-based pages when a body of work needs its own set of images, context, or process notes.
- Use themed galleries when visitors should quickly browse groups such as a medium, subject, or series.
- Use individual image placements when one or a few works need deliberate emphasis on a page.
Squarespace’s guidance recommends keeping featured projects to 10 or fewer. That is a platform recommendation, not a universal limit: the useful number depends on the work and whether visitors can still find the projects that matter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Design around the purpose of the site
Decide what the site should help visitors do before choosing pages. Squarespace’s artist guidance recommends putting the art at the center, keeping the design simple, and making the site usable on mobile and desktop. Its artist guide puts the principle plainly: “The art is the centerpiece of your website, so make sure none of the other site elements distract from your work.”
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- For audience building: make browsing easy and give visitors a clear way to follow new work or updates.
- For commissions or client work: make contact or booking easy to find, and show enough relevant work to help a prospective client understand your practice.
- For sales: direct visitors to the shop or purchase information rather than making them hunt through general portfolio pages.
- For professional presentation: make room for a bio or CV, exhibitions, process context, or other background that supports the work.
Squarespace’s portfolio guidance notes that a site can include a bio or CV, dropdown menus, and secure client logins. Include these features when they serve a real visitor need; they should not crowd out the work or obscure the contact path.
A practical checklist before publishing
- Can a visitor tell what kind of work you make from the first screen?
- Are projects grouped in a way that makes sense for your medium and series?
- Is the next action—browse, inquire, book, or shop—easy to find?
- Does the work remain legible and the navigation usable on both mobile and desktop?
- Does the site provide the amount of context your visitors need, without burying the art?
- Have you updated featured work and supporting information as your practice has changed?
For further examples, see the independent collections from SiteBuilderReport and Create Today. Squarespace’s guidance includes its artist website examples, art portfolio examples, portfolio setup guide, and public showcase. The showcase categorizes examples as portfolios and online stores; it is not evidence that any particular artist site remains on the platform today.
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