Skip to content
Technology & Innovation —

An Etsy For Makers And Collectors Of Fine Art

Cureeo, a woman-led startup, aims to fill a gap by providing a site that saves artists time on sales and marketing and saves collectors time on searching for new works.
Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Article written by guest writer Kecia Lynn

What’s the Latest Development?

Cureeo is a new startup that intends to do for fine art what Etsy did for crafts: Bring together makers and collectors of fine art in a more efficient way via the Internet. For the artists, Cureeo not only displays their art for sale, but helps with marketing and collecting payment from buyers. For the collectors, the site’s curators select art to display, while also guiding potential buyers based on their specified preferences. There’s also a consultation service offered: “Users can upload images of art they like… giving the experts a sense of their taste without requiring art world language to describe what they want.” By acting as the middleman, the site hopes to save time and money for both groups.

What’s the Big Idea?

Cureeo is a rare example, even today, of a startup founded by women. In describing the inspiration for the company, CEO Maida Swenson-Fortune says she wanted to create an art marketplace that fits a more discriminating market. “I love Etsy, but…the average purchase there is about 20 dollars. It’s a very [different] process to buy something for 2000 dollars.” Fortunately a Cureeo buyer has seven days to return a work for a full refund.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people
Related
Up Next
A Hill in Sanaa
Despite appearances I have not forgotten about Waq al-waq, and while I’ll spare you the usual and tired excuses for my lack of posts I will direct you to the […]