Funded by a grant from the City of Sacramento, local nonprofit group The Atrium has launched a virtual-storefront program to help local artists and creatives showcase and sell their wares.
Part of the City of Sacramento’s Creative Economy Recovery program, the e-commerce platform — called SACRAMENTO.SHOP. — features a wide array of merchandise, including jewelry, coffee mugs, wall art and more.
Atrium’s program provides free professional photography and digital marketing assistance to its participants. The services and support are funded from the $89 million the City received from the federal CARES Act.
“With many in-person gatherings coming to a halt, artists and creatives became very limited in how they can showcase and sell their products,” said Megan Van Voorhis, Cultural & Creative Economy Manager. “This program can help local artists adapt to the COVID-19 landscape and continue growing their business and reaching new customers. Investing in our local creative community and funding programs like this are vital to help Sacramento’s creative economy prosper.”
The idea for the virtual-storefront program started earlier this year, following the issuance of the mask guidance from health officials. Atrium, which bills itself as a “collaborative community of creatives and entrepreneurs centered on the idea of doing business for good,” created an online marketplace for customized masks that generated more than $30,000 for local creatives. Building on that success, the Atrium applied for a City grant to expand and upgrade the e-commerce platform.
“COVID-19 has forced many vendors to make the switch to almost entirely online sales, which requires skillful digital marketing knowledge and time for the steep learning curve,” said Shira Lane, founder of the Atrium. “We are glad to be able to aid this process by providing access to professional photography and this virtual storefront for local creatives to sell their products.”
Local artists and creatives looking to access this program can sign up here.
Go to SacramentoCovidRelief.org to see more ways the City is helping residents and businesses during the pandemic.