Let's make a law (A-Corp Update #1)

Since this project became public in June, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to establish connections and follow the process to make Artist Corporations a reality. This means passing laws. Yes, laws. 

Starting today, we’ll be sending a regular — usually weekly — update to this community sharing progress, answering questions, and inviting you to help make A-Corps happen.

The focus to date has been on two fronts: establishing political support for A-Corps in one U.S. state (we’ll say more about where soon) and listening to all the feedback that’s been coming from you.

We’re happy to report real progress on both fronts. The first steps towards the realization of the A-Corp law are underway, and over the past eight weeks, nearly 3,000 artists and creators have signed up to be part of this movement. Wow!

More than a thousand of you have written in to tell us what brought you to this project. Three messages, selected almost at random, sharing what’s on people’s minds:

“Commercial organizations have long benefited from well-established corporate legal frameworks that enable access to capital, streamlined business affairs, and operational predictability. But the shape of artistic work doesn't always fit within those traditional molds. Today, commerce self-propagates while art struggles to take root. How much of that is a result of legal friction and uncertainty? I don't know, but an established corporate framework for artists would certainly make art a more sustainable endeavor.” — Mark Johnson

“Artists should not discount their labor nor should society constantly undermine artists' value through suboptimal wages, insecure contracts, and absent workplace entitlements.” — Sarah Wilbur

”We need new models for creative co-authorship that legally empower collaborators, and decenter the mythical single auteur as the sole author and beneficiary of the ‘work.’” — Justin Morrison

Thanks to Mark, Sarah, and Justin for writing in. There are literally more than a thousand messages (and counting) like these of people explaining in simple, easy to understand ways how their current practices are limited, and why a new foundation like A-Corps feels like a viable path forward for them.

We’re also getting lots of data from this ten-question survey, including the biggest pain points, wants, and a detailed overview of how 1,000-plus artists are legally and economically structured. We’ll go into all the numbers in a future update. If you haven’t yet answered, take five minutes to share about your practice here:

Answer the survey

One ask#

We’re going to start turning on our Artist Corporation social media channels soon, which will heavily feature artist stories. We want that channel to be a place that elevates the work of artists and this community.

If you’d be open to being featured in some A-Corp social, hit reply to this message and tell us about you and what kind of work you make. We appreciate it.