Skater/artist Andy Howell has launched a multi-disciplanary, all encompassing, arts and culture site on the web called Artsprojekt (in partnership with zazzle.com). Like much that Andy does this one is difficult to describe or completely understand, leading us to believe it’s will to be a lot like his book Art, Skateboarding and Life in that it will encompass everything that Andy is into.
Here’s a little about what we mean from the press release.
ARTSPROJEKT will also represent and manage artists, as well as host exhibitions curated by some of the best artists in the world, create limited and open edition reproductions of its artists’ works for sale worldwide, and establish working and collaborative relationships with major media brands. At launch, ARTSPROJEKT artists and brands include Lil Jon, Shepard Fairey / OBEY, Santa Cruz Skateboards, legendary skateboard artist Jim Phillips, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Bullet, Crooks & Castles, Blood Is The New Black, Hellz Bellz, Guttersnipe, legendary skateboard pro and artist Steve Caballero, Mars-1, Alex Pardee, and DALEK.
The site will also be “the first to utilize new printing technologies for one-off custom skateboard decks.” At worst it sounds like an amazing little online store for cool art stuff (ala Fecalface), at best it could be the site that pushes the entire movement to the next levels of synergy and creativity. We’ll wade through it and get back to you. Press release after the jump.
[Link: Artsprojekt.com]
Artist and Former Pro Skateboarder Andy Howell Launches ARTSPROJEKT, an Interactive and Culturally Relevant Online Community for the Arts, Pop Culture and Action Sports
In addition, ARTSPROJEKT announces Launch of On-Demand Skateboards Platform through Strategic Technology Partnership with Zazzle®
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–ARTSPROJEKT, www.artsprojekt.com, an interactive and culturally relevant online community for the arts, pop culture and action sports announced its launch today. ARTSPROJEKT will feature original art, illustrations, and designs by artists, celebrities, action sports stars and micro brands, as well as offer artist profiles, portfolios, online product galleries, collaborations, artist interviews, and more. ARTSPROJEKT will also represent and manage artists, as well as host exhibitions curated by some of the best artists in the world, create limited and open edition reproductions of its artists’ works for sale worldwide, and establish working and collaborative relationships with major media brands. At launch, ARTSPROJEKT artists and brands include Lil Jon, Shepard Fairey / OBEY, Santa Cruz Skateboards, legendary skateboard artist Jim Phillips, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Bullet, Crooks & Castles, Blood Is The New Black, Hellz Bellz, Guttersnipe, legendary skateboard pro and artist Steve Caballero, Mars-1, Alex Pardee, and DALEK.
In addition, the company announced the launch of skateboards on-demand through its strategic relationship with Zazzle. Zazzle’s engineering team collaborated with Howell to develop a truly authentic product that is produced within 24 hours, a first for the industry.
“The launch of the ARTSPROJEKT community together with the on-demand skateboard platform provides a truly amazing opportunity for this market segment,” said Andy Howell, former pro skateboarder and founder of ARTSPROJEKT. “We combine the most diverse and relevant artistic community with the most cutting edge technology and manufacturing capabilities to offer new revenue opportunities for established designers as well as up-and-coming artists. The community will offer a diverse array of content, designs and products not available anywhere else, and provide artists and brands with incredible earning power from every sale.”
ARTSPROJEKT aligns artists, brands and consumers; the community was created to empower emerging artists and established artists, offering a way for them to connect and share ideas, as well as to create and sell original art and products to consumers. ARTSPROJEKT utilizes Zazzle’s revolutionary high-end and on-demand product platform, allowing content owners and artists to create and sell an infinite array of products on-demand, without set-up fees or inventory risk. The ARTSPROJEKT marketplace provides a new and vibrant sales channel for established brands, as well as indie brands and individuals who are cutting edge tastemakers in the arts community. ARTSPROJEKT will offer partner libraries from major brands, art archives, and branded templates, creating a deep content environment for consumers to interact with the brands in an environment that feels personal, customized, and unique to their tastes.
Designs are available on a variety of products including skateboards, apparel, shoes and more, with many of the products customizable as to apparel style and skateboard shape. In addition, artists may be invited to create limited and open edition products, sell them through ARTSPROJEKT.com and partner sites, their own sites, blogs, and online social networks, with the entire back end of production, fulfillment and customer service handled for them.
The launch of skateboards on-demand, produced in 24 hours is an industry first. Howell worked with Zazzle to develop the skateboard product offering, and partnered with the best in the business to provide consumers with a unique and comprehensive product offering.
Zazzle’s patent-pending manufacturing process is the first to utilize new printing technologies for one-off custom skateboard decks, producing a beautifully vibrant image. The offering is a full end-to-end experience – consumers are able to choose from a wide variety of pre-designed boards from the ARTSPROJEKT community of designers and content partners, create the product online and have it produced within 24 hours of ordering.
Added Howell of the motivation behind the on-demand skateboard platform and artistic community, “As a pro skateboarder, I always considered skateboarding a fine art. As an artist, I see the skateboard as a canvas. Throughout my life and career, my art and skateboarding have always been primary forms of expression. I am passionate about being able to cross-pollinate the two worlds and aspire for ARTSPROJEKT to raise the bar for the quality of skate graphics and initiate a new global standard that empowers artists, and brands, with a better quality skateboard than ever before.”
Skateboard decks are seven-ply North American maple and supplied by PS Stix. Components are sourced from Santa Cruz, Independent trucks, Krux Trucks, and Ricta Wheel Dynamics. The end result is a highly technical product, backed by industry veterans.
“The skateboarding industry is a large market with incredible potential to expand creative expression on boards,” said Jeff Beaver, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Zazzle. “Through our relationship with Andy, we are able to leverage our proprietary manufacturing systems and online tools to produce skateboards on-demand, with extraordinary quality.”
ARTSPROJEKT enables brands to unlock catalogues of amazing old school content, extend current product offerings, and test their new designs in an immediately focused atmosphere. ARTSPROJEKT empowers emerging and established artists to monetize their creativity on truly unique high-end art products, and share in the revenue from every sale using their images.
“Skateboard graphics were one of the main things that inspired me to become an artist, so it goes without saying that I want my art to translate beautifully on skateboards,” said Shepard Fairey. “In the past, printing on a curved board surface had detail limitations or smudging could occur at the bends. The ARTSPROJEKT boards utilize new digital technology to create perfectly crisp graphics with impeccable detail.”
About ARTSPROJEKT
Finally the artist wins. ARTSPROJEKT is an interactive and culturally relevant online community enabling artists, brands and consumers to connect instantly, and on-demand. ARTSPROJEKT provides artist management, exhibition, and e-commerce assistance to emerging and established artists in all fine art and commercial genres. The company develops careers, connects artists with galleries and potential clients, as well as promotes and sells art and products online and offline. ARTSPROJEKT empowers artists to create full time, and sell original art as well as limited or open edition products on its site, partner sites, the artists own sites, and other online networks. Launched in August 2008, ARTSPROJEKT is a unit of Zazzle.
©2008 Zazzle.com Inc., all rights reserved. Zazzle is a registered trademark and trademark of Zazzle.com, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
