New York — Artswrk, a new tech venture for artists and creatives to showcase, find, refer, and sustain WRK, launched to the public on http://www.artswrk.com on July 28, 2021. The brand launched on Instagram (@artswrkofficial) in October 2020 and has been in beta since March 2021.
After incubating the product this spring through Wharton’s VIP-Xa Accelerator, and collecting valuable feedback (and enthusiasm) from beta users, Ravi and Silverio prepared the platform for its public launch.
On Artswrk, any artist can curate a free customized profile, post and track jobs, add professional connections, make referrals, and access a host of resources to support their careers. By digitizing referrals that are normally done on social media and through word-of-mouth, Artswrk centralizes the formerly chaotic process of finding, tracking, and referring gig-based creative work.
As the adage goes – it’s “all about who you know.” Artswrk is the first platform that allows users to elevate new and existing connections into tangible employment opportunities. Also, while it is packed with innovative features – a democratized talent database, embedded links to disparate media (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Vimeo), job and discussion boards – Artswrk’s base product is for free for artists, unlike any competitor.
Ravi and Silverio were compelled to build this new startup after the COVID-19 shutdown: “Due to low integration of technology and an inability to pivot digitally, 94% of creatives have lost income and employment during the pandemic,” Ravi writes. “Without innovation, the global $17.3 billion industry, driven by over 100 million freelance creatives, is vulnerable to collapse, and Artswrk aims to be the technological solution to bring arts networking into the 21st century.” Artists have struggled for decades with a gross lack of government support, proper insurance and benefits, and a lack of career accessibility that exacerbate inequality and inequity in the space. Artswrk puts the power back into artists’ hands and is a much-needed step forward for creatives.
Ravi is a 2017 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Health and Societies with focuses on health & education and entrepreneurship. She is a professional dancer with Bloc Talent Agency NYC (as seen on “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”) and a startup consultant in UX, product strategy and marketing. Silverio is a 2018 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a B.S. in Economics and a concentration in Commercial Dance Management. He is a professional dancer with Clear Talent Group NY (as seen on “Saturday Night Live” and “Girls5Eva”) and choreographer of the viral “First Burn” video.
About Artswrk
Artswork is the premiere professional network for artists and creatives to showcase, find, refer, and sustain work. We envision a world in which creative industries are innovative, resilient, equitable, and driven by a network of empowered artists. Our mission is for all creatives to have necessary digital tools to build sustainable livelihoods doing what they love. Artists and creatives can join Artswrk for free at http://www.artswrk.com. They can stay connected and up-to-date with new product launches on Artswrk’s official social channels, Instagram (@artswrkoffiicial) and TikTok (@artswrkofficial).
