Charles O. Perry - Artist Portfolio Website

A Django-based portfolio website showcasing the sculpture, jewelry, puzzles, and chairs of artist Charles O. Perry. This site has been modernized to Django 5.x with a file-based data architecture.

Features

• Sculpture Gallery: Browse sculptures by style (ribbed, planar, topological, solid) or material
• Jewelry Collection: View pendants, earrings, pins, and other jewelry pieces
• Puzzle Showcase: Interactive puzzles and chess sets
• Chair Designs: Industrial design furniture pieces
• Contact Forms: Contact and newsletter subscription functionality
• Tour & Slideshow: Interactive map tour and slideshow presentations

Architecture

• Framework: Django 5.x
• Data Storage: File-based CSV data (no database required)
• Authentication: None (public portfolio site)
• Email: Django SMTP integration for contact forms

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• pip

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd charlesperrycom

2. Install dependencies:

pip install django

3. Set up environment variables (optional):

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your values

4. Run the development server:

python manage.py runserver

5. Visit the site:
   • Main site: http://localhost:8000/

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file or set environment variables:

# Required for production
DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
DEBUG=false

# Email configuration (for contact forms)
[email protected]
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=your-app-password
[email protected]

Email Setup

See EMAIL_SETUP.md for detailed email configuration instructions.

Data Structure

The site uses CSV files for data storage:

• media/sculpture/art.csv - Sculpture database
• media/jewelry/jewelry.csv - Jewelry collection
• media/puzzles/puzzles.csv - Puzzle designs

Adding New Items

To add new sculptures, jewelry, or puzzles:

1. Add a new row to the appropriate CSV file
2. Add images to the corresponding media directory
3. The changes will appear immediately (no database migration needed)

Key URLs

• / - Homepage
• /sculpture/ - Main sculpture gallery
• /sculpture/style/ - Browse by style
• /sculpture/material/ - Browse by material
• /sculpture/slideshow/ - Slideshow presentation
• /sculpture/tour/ - Interactive map tour
• /jewelry/ - Jewelry collection
• /puzzles/ - Puzzle designs
• /chairs/ - Chair furniture
• /bio/ - About the artist
• /bio/contact/ - Contact form

Development

Running in Development

# Start development server
python manage.py runserver

# View emails in console (no SMTP needed)
# Contact forms will print to terminal

File-Based Data System

The site uses CSV files instead of a traditional database:

• Benefits: No database setup, easy data management, version controllable
• Data Loading: CSV files are read on each request
• Performance: Suitable for small datasets (hundreds of items)
• Legacy Models: Django model files (models.py) are preserved but not used. They could be reactivated for future database integration if needed.

Adding New Features

1. New Data Types: Add CSV file and create corresponding item class
2. New Views: Follow existing patterns in app views.py files
3. Templates: Extend base templates for consistent styling

Deployment

Production Checklist

• Generate new DJANGO_SECRET_KEY
• Set DEBUG=false
• Configure email settings
• Set up web server (nginx/Apache) for static files
• Configure HTTPS
• Set proper file permissions

Example Production Settings

export DJANGO_SECRET_KEY="your-generated-secret-key"
export DEBUG=false
export EMAIL_HOST_USER="[email protected]"
export EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD="app-specific-password"
export DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL="[email protected]"

Migration History

This site was migrated from Google App Engine to modern Django:

• Original: GAE Python 2.7 with webapp2 framework
• Converted: Django 5.x with Python 3.8+
• Database: Migrated from GAE Datastore to CSV files
• Authentication: Removed (was admin-only, now public)
• Email: Converted from GAE Mail API to Django SMTP

Security

• Secret key moved to environment variables
• Debug mode configurable
• No user authentication (reduced attack surface)
• File-based data (no SQL injection risk)
• Minimal dependencies
• Proper email configuration

Performance

• Data Loading: CSV files loaded on each request
• Caching: None implemented (suitable for low-traffic portfolio site)
• Static Files: Served by Django in development, should use web server in production

Browser Support

• Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Mobile responsive design

License

© 2000-2025 Charles O. Perry. All rights reserved.

Support

For technical issues or questions about the artist's work, use the contact form at /bio/contact/.