It is far easier to promote your artwork as a member of a broad collective. The most important reason is marketing. This website is run by a professional, award-winning writer. I'll write concise, engaging essays for each artist who joins this Gathering. And, most importantly, as a computer geek, I'll market this site extensively, ensuring that web surfers will stop by.
Promotion is crucial.
It always saddens me when I come across a smart, informative website that garners little in the way of traffic. The design is good, the message is lively, but the designer doesn't understand how the world wide web works. Many artists, by dint of unfortunate circumstance, will think that promoting their work on the internet is a waste of time and energy. They've tried it, but it doesn't work. I respectfully disagree.