Saturday, September 4, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Idea
Artists contribute greatly to their communities yet struggle to survive in those communities. People value having artists around, but don’t have affordable access to the art. The current model of selling/sharing art has failed both parties. Meanwhile, the art sits on studio shelves.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs create mutually beneficial relationships between consumers and local farmers. Farmers sell “shares” at the beginning of the season; consumers receive fresh local veggies throughout the season. They meet each other, foster a sense of community, and share risk – the fate of the farmer’s crops becomes the fate of the community’s produce. Tens of thousands of families have signed up and its popularity continues to rise. Fishermen and bakers have begun to launch their own versions.
The last decade also brought the evolution of product-sharing models. Entrepreneurs used the internet to turn old archetypes of libraries, video stores, and car rental agencies, into new enterprises large (Netflix, Zipcar) and small (local tool banks). Product-sharing models made expensive items affordable.
ARTchives is a local art library that applies these models to art. It’s not quite a CSA because art isn’t seasonal or consumable and it takes time to produce. But ARTchives begins with the spirit of CSA (supporting local industry, fostering sense of community, sharing risk), and incorporates the efficiency of product-sharing models to create new streams of revenue for artists and new avenues of access for art appreciators. Artists pool their art together and lend it out to ARTchives' subscribers. Ten artists putting ten pieces each into the library yields a diverse one hundred piece collection. Twenty subscribers paying a yearly fee for membership yields revenue for the artists to split. Each member gets to choose two pieces of art to bring home for three months, after which they return them to the collection, and take home two more. Members also have the opportunity to buy the art in the collection. Artists receive 60% of the proceeds of their sold art and the other artists split the remaining 40%. Galleries routinely take 30%, so this isn’t much of a stretch beyond that, especially considering artists will be earning on others‘ sales too. ARTchives creates three new revenue streams for the artists: subscription fees, sales of their work, and sales of other artists‘ work. Subscribers make supporting local art a reality and enjoy a rotating exhibit of that art on their very own walls.
Experience the thrill of being a collector without the prohibitive expense and storage concerns. Experience the satisfaction of being a supporter of local arts in a new and exciting way. Become a member today!
Coming soon. Accepting feedback now: Please fill out this brief 5 question survey.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs create mutually beneficial relationships between consumers and local farmers. Farmers sell “shares” at the beginning of the season; consumers receive fresh local veggies throughout the season. They meet each other, foster a sense of community, and share risk – the fate of the farmer’s crops becomes the fate of the community’s produce. Tens of thousands of families have signed up and its popularity continues to rise. Fishermen and bakers have begun to launch their own versions.
The last decade also brought the evolution of product-sharing models. Entrepreneurs used the internet to turn old archetypes of libraries, video stores, and car rental agencies, into new enterprises large (Netflix, Zipcar) and small (local tool banks). Product-sharing models made expensive items affordable.
ARTchives is a local art library that applies these models to art. It’s not quite a CSA because art isn’t seasonal or consumable and it takes time to produce. But ARTchives begins with the spirit of CSA (supporting local industry, fostering sense of community, sharing risk), and incorporates the efficiency of product-sharing models to create new streams of revenue for artists and new avenues of access for art appreciators. Artists pool their art together and lend it out to ARTchives' subscribers. Ten artists putting ten pieces each into the library yields a diverse one hundred piece collection. Twenty subscribers paying a yearly fee for membership yields revenue for the artists to split. Each member gets to choose two pieces of art to bring home for three months, after which they return them to the collection, and take home two more. Members also have the opportunity to buy the art in the collection. Artists receive 60% of the proceeds of their sold art and the other artists split the remaining 40%. Galleries routinely take 30%, so this isn’t much of a stretch beyond that, especially considering artists will be earning on others‘ sales too. ARTchives creates three new revenue streams for the artists: subscription fees, sales of their work, and sales of other artists‘ work. Subscribers make supporting local art a reality and enjoy a rotating exhibit of that art on their very own walls.
Experience the thrill of being a collector without the prohibitive expense and storage concerns. Experience the satisfaction of being a supporter of local arts in a new and exciting way. Become a member today!
Coming soon. Accepting feedback now: Please fill out this brief 5 question survey.
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