The art market can be an intimidating place to wade into for first time buyers. Traditional galleries with their white empty spaces and uninterested staff often create atmosphere that discourages new collectors from getting involved. And while Art.com and Etsy have made finding posters and art reproductions easy online, the art industry as a whole lags behind other sectors with only 3%-8% of transactions taking place online vs 15%-20% industry wide according to CINOA and Goldman Sachs estimates.
Online start-up RiseArt is aiming to change all of this by becoming a trusted guide for new collectors to access art for sale from the best galleries and artists worldwide.
The risk-free approach to discovering and collecting art is based on a recommendation engine as popularized by e-commerce outfit shoedazzle. Users complete an art personality quiz and the team of art experts at Rise Art put together a collection of work based around the user’s unique tastes.
Consumers discover art that is relevant to them, and can connect directly with galleries and top artists through the social features across the site. When they find something they love, they can purchase it and take advantage of a 7 day no hassle return policy, or rent the work and try it at home before they buy. Art rentals come framed and ready-to-hang, and can be returned free of charge at anytime. Renters can also purchase the artwork at anytime, using credits from their rental.
Rise Art founder Scott Phillips launched the platform to help make it easy to discover and buy art online. “The art world is often characterized as intimidating and fragmented. We want to make it easy to access the best artworks online, and discover art based around your taste”.
Rise Art has launched partnerships with prominent galleries including Tag Fine Art, The Multiple Store, My Life in Art and Gas Gallery, with original artwork from prominent artists including Takashi Murakami, Peter Blake and Damien Hirst now available for purchase and rent.
Online platforms such as Rise Art also are helping gallery owners expand their sales at a time where many are turning to art fairs and other destinations to supplement and in many instances replace their high rent gallery spaces. By aggregating original artwork sourced through galleries and established artists, the company is able to help galleries extend their reach to new consumers outside of their existing network.
The company is headquartered in London, but now offers shipping and framing services to over 30 countries worldwide including the United States.