12 of the best Squarespace templates for artists, painters, and creative types

An early favorite among artists looking to build a quick website, Classon has a single-background landing page that you can use to display one of your best pieces. Features such as “All Prints” and “Process” are specifically tailored for artists while the header of the page allows you to feature your name without taking eyes away from your main work. This is not a template with a particularly large number of functions and, perhaps for that reason, it is frequently selected when new artists want to get a website up and running quickly. Simply plug in your work through the drag-and-drop features and play around with rearranging them later.

Envisioned for online stores and other forms of e-commerce, Alameda is the template for any artist looking to sell work. Even rectangular icons allow you to lay out different paintings (or whatnot) you have for sale while the text underneath leaves room for titles, descriptions, and prices. Those who click on them are taken to another page with a larger image, more information, and the “Cart” function.

The header leaves room for other pages (“Lookbook” can be used to display a portfolio while the usual “About” and “Contact” features give you a space to describe yourself). While the unique features make Alameda an obvious choice for anyone who sells artwork online, a simple template may be better if displaying work is your primary goal.

Released in the faraway year of 2012, Wells is a Squarespace old-timer that is often chosen by artists and photographers of all kinds. The right-aligned mosaic alone gives the whole thing a feel of old-school photography but the running stream is particularly useful as it provides a way to display a range of work without overwhelming the visitor.

Along with the usual biography and contact information, you can also divide the site by the type of work that you do or, if you work across multiple media, have pages for anything from drawings to photographs. The overall look is landing-page heavy and fairly basic but, if you have a strong body of work, this template can make it look professional without much effort.

Nolan, a dark-background template that lets you scroll through several full-width image galleries, will work for artists and companies with a more high-end clienele. Underneath the initial image gallery, you will be able to add client logos in between several other case studies. Contact information and services can be seen in both the header and at the bottom of the slider but the projects you choose for the galleries need to speak for themselves as, unlike some of the other templates on this list, there is no opportunity to display a larger portfolio. As a result, Nolan may be a better fit for artists who are already somewhat known in their industry.

This template is made to look like one large scrolling résumé, a format that has in recent years become popular with many in the art community. Unlike the typical links to one’s biography and contact information you’d expect to find in the header, Otto unravels into a long string of text and photos. Along with the basics of what you do and why people should know your work, you can include anything from case studies and past clients to a string of photographs or drawings.

This type of format will work particularly well for artists who sell their services (for example, graphic designers or portrait creators) but those looking to show off larger bodies of work may find the scrolling function too limiting — more than a few images will make it drag out and crowd out one’s biography and contact information.

Kester, a template designed by Michigan-based hand-lettering artist Ida Kester Fey, fits the needs of artists who do not fall neatly into parameters such as “painter” or “singer.” A single-color background features square image icons that, when clicked upon, expand for a better view and more information. One of the added features is a shop format, which lets visitors place orders for one’s prints or designs.

The e-commerce format works particularly well for artists who make graphic prints, hand-lettering, t-shirts, or other forms of on-order designs. Those who work for themselves and see their work through the lens of creative inspiration may find the simple design too push-button.

Created by fashion blogger Sofia Pazari, the Pazari template is a great choice for those whose work spans several categories: for example, city, fashion, and lifestyle photographers. The landing page scrolls through a number of rectangular images that, when clicked on, open onto galleries where you can give site visitors more of your work. The white background and large image format are a great way to show off your art in a larger format but, with such a simple design (the background is white while the only other features are Work and Contact in the header) you really need to have a strong body of work to make it look nice. The rectangular icons will also work better for vertical, rather than horizontal, pieces.

A good fit for both artists and photographers, the Gates template stands out with a grid that you can use to display up to 20 images. The whitespace-free grid means that the work you select cannot be too busy but the overall look provides a modern and stylish alternative to some of the more spread-out mosaics selected for displaying a portfolio.

If you also show off your work on social media, you’ll be happy to see icons for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook in the right-hand corner as well as the chance to link to your contact information. Still, the template’s main feature is the grid. In order to make it look good, be prepared to play around with the arrangement of different types of work — some colors or styles may not necessarily go together.

The basis of the Kearny template was initially a woodworking studio but, with its single-photo landing page and a single button linking to an email, is a great option for anyone who is only starting out in a certain sphere but wants to have an online presence. The template functions, essentially, as an online business card with a photo and a “Contact Me” icon linking to an email.

The limited format works well for small-time entrepreneurs like the art teacher offering at-home classes or the studio launching in a couple of months. This type of site would need to be given individually to those who already know a little bit about you; the lack of an “About Me” page will not be particularly helpful for those who happen to come across you on the web. 

With so much focus on visual artists, many can forget that musicians also need websites. The Paloma template fits such needs perfectly with a built-in player on the landing page and the ability to add podcasts. The Episodes feature allows you to take site visitors to your songs or episodes of a podcast while the Blog page can be used for anything from the simple (announcing concert dates) to the advanced (incorporating videos of performances or adding progress reports) depending on your level of web prowess.