About this project
A lot of great art never makes it out of the studio. We think part of the reason is that the decision to publish and promote someone’s work is usually made by a select number of people - not the art community as a whole.
We want to change that by creating Flowsee Magazine, a monthly democratic Arts magazine where all the content is chosen by the readers and the artists, not by the editors.
Flowsee's Mission is to:
- Make sharing your work playful, open, and constructive (you can check out the platform at Flowsee.com).
- Enrich and diversify the outcome of the selection process by encouraging a multiplicity of viewpoints.
- Reduce the one-sidedness of the typical magazine submission process, where there is no way to tell where your submission goes, who is looking at it, how it’s being received, and what the other submissions look like.
(pics of the rewards are at the end)
Here's How It Will Work
Artists submit their work to our voting platform, which is completely open, and anyone, anywhere, can submit, vote, or simply browse through all the submissions.
When the submission deadline has passed, the top three most popular submissions from each artistic category go on to be published in Flowsee Magazine.
The platform has an innovative interface where submissions move up and down the page, and grow bigger and smaller, in real time, depending on how liked or disliked they are. The more popular a submission is, the closer to the top it will get, and the more exposure it will receive.
You will be able to submit your work in one of 11 artistic categories: Hand-Drawn, Painting, Photography, Installation, Short Story, Poetry, Music, Handicrafts, Graphic Design, Fashion, and Mixed Media.
In addition, a “themed” category will be renewed every month. For this category, artists can submit a piece in any medium they choose, as long as it fits within the chosen theme.
The Magazine
Flowsee Magazine will be professionally designed and produced, and available for free in digital form. Readers will also have the option to purchase individual print copies or subscribe monthly.
The magazine will be published on the 25th of every month, and submission periods are 1 month long. For example, the August issue is published on July 25th. The submission period for the August issue is from June 15th to July 15th. For the September issue, the submission period is from July 15th to August 15th, and so on. Once the deadline has passed, the submission period for the next issue begins immediately.
Artists who make it into the magazine will not only have their work featured, they will receive a byline, and may have the chance to be interviewed or reviewed.
Additional Features
We don't want showcasing your work to be a disconnected or isolated process anymore. We want to foster interaction and connection within the community, and offer a new way for artists and the public to communicate. Therefore:
Submitting artists are given a profile they can use as a portfolio or blog to give the Flowsee community a better idea of who they are. Anyone has the option to create a profile.
Voters can comment on a submission with their own interpretation or review of the piece. For each published piece, the Flowsee team picks its favorite interpretation and publishes it alongside the associated piece.
Artists also have the option to sell their submitted pieces directly to interested users through Flowsee.
Get A First Look
The voting platform is currently in development, and you are free to test it out here: www.flowsee.com. Submit, vote, and browse to get a feel for how the process will work. For now it’s only about sharing, so just have fun discovering new artists and getting feedback on your work!
Where Does The Money Go?
One third of all the money collected will go to the campaign and our partnered artists who have produced rewards for our backers! Besides that, we’re doing alright in terms of shelter, clothes, and food (so much Nutella wow), but we do need funding to accomplish several very important goals. Donations will enable us to:
- Publish the first edition of Flowsee Magazine in March 2013.
- Improve the design of Flowsee's platform and ready the platform for launch.
- Ensure the platform is equipped to effortlessly display images of any quality and size.
- Deliver the magazine through different mediums, including tablets, smartphones, and print, so that artists have more opportunities to gain exposure.
These goals will not only help us complete the first issue, they will contribute to Flowsee Magazine’s sustainability. We want to publish Flowsee every month, for a long, long time. Perhaps the themed category of our last issue will be about the next week’s long-awaited Earth-ending sun explosion.
The Team
We are a passionate team of art enthusiasts, conceptualists, and creators. Our goal is to harness the interactive power of digital platforms to break down the barriers between the easel and the world. We are driven by creative ideas and constant innovation, and are determined to turn this magazine into a reality.
Olivier Jarfas, Co-founder & Project Manager
Born in France, Olivier is an expert in Management and City Planning, and he really likes making salad.
Christophe Fischer, Co-founder & Business Manager
Hailing from Poland, Chris has an MA in European Business Law and an MA in International Financial Law & Finance. He also has an MA in having a lot of MAs.
Daniel Krompass, PHP & FrontEnd Developer
Daniel is from Germany, and has 17 years’ experience as a developer and Software Designer. So he’s been transforming 1s and 0s into websites for longer than he hasn’t. It’s weird.
Lukasz Gosik, System Architect & Developer
Also from Poland, Lukasz has 4 years’ experience as a developer and programmer, and tends to drive aimlessly when bored. So if you want a free lift just talk to him about the history of the suspenders or something.
Eleanor Fairbank Angus, Content Manager
Straight out of London, Eleanor has an MA in English Literature as well as diverse experience in writing, editing, and market research. She likes deserted factories and strange answers to simple questions.
Josh Kraus, Communication Director/Full-time Narrator
Born and raised in Chicago, Josh has a BA in Communication & Culture, whatever that is, and has 5 years’ experience in professional writing. He also wrote these team bios and thinks he’s hilarious.
And a special thanks to Henrik Wolff, Yuh Yiing Loh, Grant Parker, Natasha Jaffe, Madalina Didilescu and Harry R. Hodgson for your invaluable help and support!
What Happens If We Surpass Our Funding Goal?
$35,000
While having your work published in a magazine is already pretty awesome, we would still love to compensate the featured artists. If we reach this goal, we will be able to award each month’s artists with payment for their contribution.
$50,000
While having your work published in a magazine and receiving financial compensation is pretty awesome, we think we could add an extra dose of awesomeness by displaying your work in an actual gallery! If we reach this goal, we will set up a temporary exhibition to showcase your pieces.
$80,000
The floodgates will be opened! After passing out from gratitude, we can start holding more exhibitions, sponsor international art events which promote amateur artists, and develop professional applications for tablets and smartphones.
Partners
Numerous artists are already using the platform to share their art. They are also helping us to improve the concept and the website, and are quickly becoming part of the Flowsee family. They have even allowed us to put their work in our magazine prototype. That’s why we are continuing these partnerships by working with them for the Kickstarter campaign. 10 artists are offering some of their best work to our pledgers in the form of printed copies, signed copies, and even pieces in their original format. So another special thank you to our artistic pals!
Andreea Talpeanu (FR) - http://andreeatalpeanu.com/
Matilda Jenkins (UK) - http://cargocollective.com/matildahilljenkins
Richard Wolff (GE)- http://www.richardwolff.eu/
Justine Dorion (GE)- http://cargocollective.com/justine
TheNavis (GE) - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheNavis
Graham Richard Cloke (US) - http://500px.com/grahamcloke
Alex Baladi (LB) - http://www.du9.org/auteur/baladi-alex/
Rafik Majzoub (LB) - http://www.arteeast.org/virtualgallery/jul05-majzoub/vg-majzoub.html
Marga (IT) - http://www.zenliveart.com/zla/index1.htm
Sabine Niebuhr (GE) - http://www.sabine-niebuhr.de/
Pantime Collective (US)
Hannah Kaube (GE)
And a big thank you to Jamie Kraus (http://jamiekraus.com/) for our magazine cover prototype!
And another big thank you to B/B Multiples for helping us film the video!
Rewards
Reward #2 - for a $10 pledge
A vectorized version of your face
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Reward #3 - for a $15 pledge
Postcards from original paintings by Marga
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Reward #4 - for a $35 pledge
"Jolly Roger" coasters by Alex Baladi
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Reward #4 - for $35 pledge
"Sober Days" coasters by Rafic Majzoub
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Pledge #5 - for $40
"Stone" smartphone sleeve by The Navis
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Reward #6 - for $45
"Light in White," "Clint Eastwood," "Rage Against Rage Itself," and "Taking Liberties" by photographer Graham Richard Cloke - 15" by 15" print
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Pledge #7 - for $50
Collaged wool bag by Hannah Kaube
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Pledge #8 - for $55
"Poppy" 10" by 7" original hand-drawings by Justine Dorion
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Pledge #9 - for $60
"Dandy" Leather smartphone case by The Navis
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Pledge #10 - for $70
Original paintings by Sabine Niebuhr
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Pledge #11 - for $80
10" by 6" original ink prints by Justine Dorion
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Reward #12 - for $90
"Driven to Distraction", "Ultimate Leaves", "That's no Moon, it's Space Station," and "Smooth Sailing" by photographer Graham Richard Cloke - 15" by 15" print
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Pledge #13 & #19 - for $100 & $500
10" by 6" original ink print on rice paper by Marga
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Pledge #14 - for $125
30" by 27" offset print by Richard Wolff
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Pledge #16 - for $225
30" by 27" ink print by Marga
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Pledge #17 - for $250
39" by 20" "CD Towers" poster by A. P.
Risks and challenges
The Platform. When creating a website that incorporates pretty advanced technology, you always run the risk of the occasional glitch or malfunction. But we have the know-how and the Redbull to provide consistent maintenance and resolve every issue.
Communication. Another stumbling block new websites face is the question of how to attract users. So far we have been executing grassroots marketing initiatives from our own end, and we plan to triple those efforts and significantly expand our network in order to spread the word.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterQuestions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (30 days)