Orangenius Helps Artists Succeed In The Creative Economy By Providing All The Required Tools In A Single Platform

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A platform created for artists, by artists, Orangenius was designed to put control back into artists’ hands. An online, membership-based platform and collaborative community for artists and creatives, Orangenius also serves the various types of enterprises in the creative ecosystem such as companies, organizations, and institutions that are in the business of art and design. Orangenius users can show and share their work with online portfolios and ‘visual’ resumes, give and get credit for collaborative projects, find and apply to art world jobs, open calls, creative gigs, and more.

Below is our interview with Rob Schlackman, Chief Technology Officer at Orangenius:

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Q: Rob, could you tell us something more about Orangenius?

A: Orangenius has taken components commonly found across the internet and consolidated them into a single platform for the visual art community. We’ve added many unique features as well. Creatives can upload artwork, create portfolios, sell work, find jobs, connect with peers and easily present themselves in a professional manner. Presenting a proper resume is often a struggle for those in the creative community, and we’ve focused on making the process straightforward and accessible.

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Q: You’ve recently announced a partnership with ImageRights; could you tell us something more about that?

A: Creatives often overlook the importance of or feel overwhelmed by the process of copyrighting their works. Many artists don’t understand the loss they can incur by not copyright protecting their art until their image has already been used without their permission. Then they have to start down a legal path. We integrated with ImageRights to make the process of copyright protecting their work simple and straightforward so that creatives do not fear the process. Each time an artist uploads a work to Orangenius, they’re provided a link to start the two-click copyright process we’ve created. When users click the link they will be automatically signed up for ImageRights where they can start the copyright process. Orangenius is also working to educate artists on the importance of copyrighting through our educational publishing arm.

Q: What makes you stand out from your competition?

A: Other sites are primarily concerned with a single task; there are portfolio sites, resume and networking sites, educational sites, marketplace sites, etc. Creatives have had to sign up for multiple platforms in order to accomplish all of the tasks needed to manage their art business. The mission of Orangenius is to provide artists with a single destination where they can find every tool they need to succeed in the creative economy.

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Q: Who are the primary clients of Orangenius?

A: Our clients are 2-D and 3-D visual artists, such as painters, sculptors, photographers and graphic designers. We also welcome members who do not necessarily create art, but who support creatives, like lighting professionals for stage design, makeup artists for portrait photography, companies and institutions, as well as curators, buyers, and enthusiasts. The Orangenius platform allows contributors such as these to be attached to a work of art, giving them credit for their contributions. This contributor function creates a cross reference between the artwork and all the people who were involved in the creation of that work. Think IMDB for art.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: The list is long! We want to stay true to our core mission – to put control into artists’ hands and help members of the creative economy thrive – while growing and expanding our services. For example, we recently launched Art360 which brings AR/VR technology to art spaces, like galleries and fairs, so anyone with a computer, phone or VR headset can enjoy and purchase artwork in a realistic, three-dimensional setting. We’ve partnered with several renowned arts organizations and educational institutions to create co-branded content and events. For example, we have a weekly Sirius radio segment with Knowledge@Wharton (channel 111) that covers nuanced topics surrounding the business of art.

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