This startup wants to build a new art-world economy that truly supports artists

FastCompany: The art world has a lot of gatekeepers: curators, gallerists, and art journal editors. It’s why so many artists turn to social media to get their art seen. But social media isn’t built for artists and can often censor work meant to challenge viewers. This is where Collecteurs , a highly aesthetic online platform designed for the art world, comes in. It functions as a gallery district for the internet age where artists can promote and, yes, monetize their work through a network of patrons.

The point is to establish a place where creators can build a “durable public record of their practice while it is alive and active,” says art collector and artist Evrim Oralkan, who cofounded the platform with his wife, Jessica Oralkan. On Collecteurs, artists can chronicle their work in one simple and stunning feed. Created more than a decade ago, the platform is still adding features, including a new tool called Patron Circles that lets artists provide users with exclusive content. The new calls feature lets artists earn money for one-on-one virtual conversations, studio visits, and mentoring.

Since artist accounts launched about a year and a half ago, more than 10,000 have signed up. With catalogs from private collectors who want to make their troves more publicly accessible, the site functions somewhat like a less ad-laden, intentional Instagram. “We don’t really want people to spend their entire day on our platform,” Evrim says.

Instead, the goal is to allow users “to share what’s important, what needs to be preserved.” Explore the full list of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas , 191 projects that are making the world more accessible, equitable, and sustainable.

The article discusses a significant innovation in the art world that could reshape how artists operate and monetize their work, making it highly relevant and novel for brand strategy professionals interested in new economic models.