From Instagram To IRL: How ArtSugar Is Changing The Way Millennials And Generation Z Buy Art
by Amanda Lauren Feb 24, 2019, 01:55pm
Choosing art to decorate your home is never an easy task because the market is simply inundated. On one end, there’s the generic, mass-produced trend of “Live, Laugh, Love,” statement pieces sold at discount big box stores. On the other end, there’s fine art. The challenge for Millennial and Generation Z buyers is finding pieces to collect in between both of those extremes. While plenty of choices exist, there is almost too much available. Even a search for a simple piece to complement your living room can end a click hole of confusion between Instagram, Etsy, and other large marketplaces.
Enter ArtSugar
ArtSugar is an online gallery that solves this problem by curating some of the most popular artists on Instagram. Founded by Cornell and Christie’s alum, Alix Greenberg in October 2017, it fills in a much-needed gap in the market for both buyers and artists. Born and raised in New York City, Greenberg spent nearly a decade working in the fine art industry before launching the company.
While working in the art world, Greenberg noticed that emerging artists without gallery representation lacked a streamlined way to bring their art to market, despite their large social media followings. “I observed that these amazing artists were struggling to build a business selling and distributing their own work, due to cumbersome logistics and marketing challenges,” she explained. “ArtSugar solves this problem by providing a technology solution that removes these roadblocks, so that artists can create and sell, without the headache of managing backend logistics."
The Curation Process
ArtSugar currently offers work from 47 different artists, all of whom Greenberg personally chooses, based on a variety of criteria. “A lot of my choices are based on gut, my lifelong obsession with art, and my education. ArtSugar also only features artists with substantial social media followings, enabling me to pick artists who I know will do well on the platform based on their ability to engage their social media followers with their artwork,” she revealed.
Choosing art to decorate your home is never an easy task because the market is simply inundated. On one end, there’s the generic, mass-produced trend of “Live, Laugh, Love,” statement pieces sold at discount big box stores. On the other end, there’s fine art. The challenge for Millennial and Generation Z buyers is finding pieces to collect in between both of those extremes. While plenty of choices exist, there is almost too much available. Even a search for a simple piece to complement your living room can end a click hole of confusion between Instagram, Etsy, and other large marketplaces.
Enter ArtSugar
ArtSugar is an online gallery that solves this problem by curating some of the most popular artists on Instagram. Founded by Cornell and Christie’s alum, Alix Greenberg in October 2017, it fills in a much-needed gap in the market for both buyers and artists. Born and raised in New York City, Greenberg spent nearly a decade working in the fine art industry before launching the company.
While working in the art world, Greenberg noticed that emerging artists without gallery representation lacked a streamlined way to bring their art to market, despite their large social media followings. “I observed that these amazing artists were struggling to build a business selling and distributing their own work, due to cumbersome logistics and marketing challenges,” she explained. “ArtSugar solves this problem by providing a technology solution that removes these roadblocks, so that artists can create and sell, without the headache of managing backend logistics.”
The Curation Process
ArtSugar currently offers work from 47 different artists, all of whom Greenberg personally chooses, based on a variety of criteria. “A lot of my choices are based on gut, my lifelong obsession with art, and my education. ArtSugar also only features artists with substantial social media followings, enabling me to pick artists who I know will do well on the platform based on their ability to engage their social media followers with their artwork,” she revealed.
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