Buy, Sell And Help Support Art With Artsicle

Jimmy Gardner November 14, 2010 Tweet

For aspiring photographers there are so many websites where you can create and share your passion, I would have trouble counting them on both hands. Everything from Flickr to SmugMug and many sites in between.  For writers there is a plethora of blogging software and blog web sites to keep the creative juices flowing.  What about for aspiring artists? There are sites like Etsy and 1000 Markets where artists can set up shop, and some newer niche sites like 20×200 and rtist which aim to elevate the artists. But a new startup out of New York  called Artsicle aims to bring some pretty innovative ideas to this growing space.

In the initial stages, Artsicle aims to be an e-commerce site to sell high-end, original art & build interactive communities between artists and collectors.  They want to help make art happen. Currently artists struggle to connect with collectors to sell original work, as the current web entities primarily support only the sale of prints. Artsicle wants to create a place where collectors can discover new, upcoming talent, helping artists sell their work as they develop their careers.

Not only will artists be able to display their work to people who may not normally have the opportunity or the ability to see it, but also plan to add a micro-finance aspect to Artsicle that will allow patrons to provide small loans to artists while they complete their next series of work. Artists will then sell their work on Artsicle, where donor patrons will receive early access to work, repaying the loan while expanding the artist’s collector base.

This pretty simple yet ingenious idea was developed by Alexis Tryon (CEO) and Scott Carleton (CTO). Alexis studied Art History & Communications at Penn, including curating a show at the Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art and Scott is a nuclear engineer turned ruby hacker.  Yes you read that correctly, a nuclear engineer turned hacker.  Its not often I have the pleasure, much less ability, to write the words nuclear engineer on the pages of Tech Cocktail.

This concept could truly bring great contemporary art to the walls of homes of people who may have never had the opportunity to buy it before, while at the same time affording the artists to continue their passions. And like Kickstarter, Artisicle may develop an entirely new sort of art-financier from unlikely places.

Currently the site is in private beta and looks to go live near the end of November. But if you’re in the New York area,  you can meet the Artsicle team and get a sneak peek of their product at Tech Cocktail NYC on November 19th (and maybe talk some nuclear engineering with Scott).