ARTSPROJEKT - Freedom of Expression

AP/LABz0001 ELITE EDTION - NEON DREAMS TOP
LUCA x DRIFTER x ARTSPROJEKT
The first LABz product, ARTSPROJEKT LABz0001, features an original design and collaboration by internationally renowned artist Luca Ionescu of Like Minded Studio in Sydney Australia and the fashion apparel brand Drifter.  The design is called “NEON DREAMS” and features a 3-D chrome skull illustration with neon reflections.  The design features many high-end embellishments including several specialty inks, silver and black foil, textured flock, and high-density raised ink.

LUCA Ionescu's iconic identity and illustration work can be found in films, television, magazines, and galleries worldwide. Luca guides the interview and design magazine Refill, and counts MTV, VH1, Tiger Beer, Etnies, Reebok, and Zoo York among his clients.

Drifter supplies LA's fashion elite with finely tailored apparel using high end blends of Supima cotton, modal, and mercerized jersey.  Featured in top retailers including Saks 5th Avenue, American Rag, and Fred Segal, Drifter is worn by Adrian Grenier of Entourage, hip hop icon DJ Shadow, and in such publications as Glamour, Stuff, and URB.  The men’s and women’s Drifter SKUs used for the ARTSPROJEKT LABz0001 Elite Edition are double-layered 60 single Supima Twofer Tops, which are stylishly fitted and extremely soft.

ARTSPROJEKT/LABZ BREAKOUT EDITION DESIGN CHALLENGE
Each time we launch a new LABz product, we'll also kick off a new BREAKOUT EDITION Design Challenge. The BREAKOUT EDITION Design Challenge will transform today’s underground visionaries into tomorrow’s global success stories. We’ll pick ten winners for each contest. If you win, your design will be sold in the LABz Special Editions Gallery. We may also show the winning designs to potential buyers for high profile retail lines, so you could find yourself checking out your T-shirt in your favorite boutique.  Each time we launch a new product, we'll tell you how to submit your designs! You've got one month to cook up a crazy, insane, over the top design and submit it for review by our ARTSPROJEKT panel of judges.

SUBMISSION DETAILS
It's easy to submit your designs. Have a look at the AP/LABz0001 Neon Dreams design, download our design template and cook up your own version.The deadline to submit design for the LABz BREAKOUT EDITION 0001 - the Luca inspired t-shirt - is Wednesday, February 20th, 2009.

1. We'll make your design, and package it up with your sticker design. It’ll be the real deal.
2. We’ll promote and sell your design on the ARTSPROJEKT.com website. You’ll get 10% royalties on every shirt we sell.
3. We’ll also be showing the winning designs to buyers for high profile retail lines, , so you could find yourself checking out your T-shirt in your favorite boutique.

Welcome to ARTSPROJEKT

I’m Andy Howell and for the past 20 years I have created innovative ideas, brands, products, marketing, and art, for myself and a hundred others. My goal is to bring inspiration, innovation, and collaboration to everything I do. I want to share a little about where I'm coming from to give you perspective on my inspiration for creating ARTSPROJEKT.

 I've done everything from riding a skateboard to founding skateboarding brands and streetwear brands, from producing solo museum exhibitions to developing an award-winning commercial design agency, from writing a book to creating record-breaking launches for Activision's Tony Hawks Pro Skater and SCION, from producing a happy meal for McDonalds to writing and directing commercials for Converse, from designing packaging for Coca Cola to creating signature product lines for DC Shoes and Quiksilver, to creating artistic products that sell all over the world.

I’ve been featured hundreds of times in films, television, magazines, newspapers, websites, and books worldwide. I've developed international product programs for every level of retailer from high end department stores to cutting edge boutiques, and online retailers to mass market chains including Urban Outfitters, Virgin Megastore, Fred Segal, American Rag, Brooklyn Projects, Nordstroms, TRUE, CCS, Delia's, Karmaloop, Pac Sun, Demo, Dr Jays, Fat Beats, Skate shops worldwide, Macy's, Saks 5th Avenue, and yes, even Target.

 I've have been the graffiti kid, fine artist, curator, gallerist, manager, agent, writer, director, photographer, filmer, designer, art director, creative director, salesperson, manufacturer, marketer, distributor, advertiser, investor, consultant, and of course, the consumer.

It’s all these crazy, amazing experiences that got me to this point, launching ARTSPROJET.COM.

 I’m not trying to make you think I am some kinda bad-ass, I share this because I want you to understand that I have experienced the game from every angle, from graff artist making illegal art on the street to company founder facilitating the acquisition of my company to one of the largest advertising conglomerates in the world.

 Through all of this, there were two things that stood out to me:

 1.         A tiny percentage of the world's population creates the sounds and images that the rest of the world consumes;

2.         Creative people want to spend all their time creating.

 Most creative people spend their time on a hamster wheel in a dead-end day job trying to pay the bills so they can afford to make cool stuff in their spare time.

 That shit's completely backwards.

 We’ve gotta change that, immediately if not sooner.

 We need to undo the way things are currently being done, and basically flip the script on the old school ways.

 Everyone needs to be paid for creating great art. And all that great art needs to be out where people can see and buy it. Every single creative person in every country needs to be able to make art all day and night, and have it shared, celebrated, and collected by people who love it.

 And better yet, everyone who loves art can afford to own something designed by their favorite artist or brand, or be inspired to design something themselves. And these things that they design will be unique and special and if they so choose available only in limited editions.

 So I had the vision, I just need a way to make it happen.

 Fortunately, this guy Rob called and asked me to be involved with a technology platform that could help me make that vision real. A platform that could make anything on-demand in 24 hours at competitive prices, virtually eliminating the need for inventory and manufacturing.

 So I came up to the Bay Area to check it out. What I found was a whole new world of engineering rock stars and marketing and technological geniuses. A team that could help me make my vision real.

 So we did, make it real that is!

We launched ARTSPROJEKT.com at the end of August and we already have over 80 artists, brands, and musicians – with more signing up every day.

 ARTSPROJECT.COM is artists, brands, musicians, fans, designers, animators, graphic novelists, video game creators, toy designers, musicians, action sports brands, fashion labels, electronics companies, indie labels, filmakers, photographers, graff writers, sneaker heads, art galleries, magazines, related sites, blogs, clubs, and schools coming together in a curated community where they can create products, exhibit art, invite others on the platform to collaborate, text news to their fans, share their newest videos and photos, and come back everyday for more because they are getting paid to help bring everyone together.

 We launched ARTSPROJEKT.com at the end of August and we already have over 80 artists, brands, and musicians – with more signing up every day.

 ARTSPROJEKT is about people of all disciplines being able to freely interact, collaborate, create, and sell original art and products, without ever having to deal with production, inventory, customer service, and a host of other boring administrative stuff.

 ARTSPROJEKT is a place where it doesn’t cost anything to take part, and creates real income for everyone involved.

 ARTSPROJEKT is the perfect solution. Here’s the deal

 1.         Artists and brands can create new products, archival collections, special editions, reissues, and extensions of existing product lines.

 2.         For artists, there are no upfront costs, no inventory risk, no customer service hassles, no dealing with returns and no financing, no accounts receivable and no accounts payable.

 3.         Artists get a base royalty of up to 25-42% for sales their own products. They can earn more money by selling lots of products, what we call volume bonus.

 4.         You can make money even if you don’t make art. ARTSPROJEKT rewards people that refer other cool people that buy stuff on ARTSPROJEKT with a 15-32% Associate Bonus. Pretty sweet.

 5.         Artists control everything; from creating products, to price, to monitoring sales and it’s all fast to set up and easy to use.

 6.         Artists can sell original art through their own art gallery

 7.         This platform is safe, solid, and secure. ARTSPROJEKT and our technology partner ZAZZLE have created a solid and established platform with a proven track record for the highest quality products and processes with some of the most powerful brands in the world. All this experience and technology comes built in

 8.         We already have deals in place for dozens of social networks, mobile services, and photo storage services so artists can link all their existing profiles and fan bases to sell their original art and products directly from myspace, facebook, twitter, and dozens of others. Oh and of course we make it easy to blog about products and email them out with quick and easy links.

 I’m stoked, how do I get involved?

ARTISTS: Want to be a part of ARTSPROJEKT? Submit your portfolio for consideration. Not quite ready to dive in all the way?  Test us out by submitting your designs in our SPECIAL EDITIONS Contests.  

 BRANDS: Send us your URL, what kind of products you make, and where you are selling. (email)

MUSICIANS, BANDS, LABELS, Send us a song. to check out and tell us about yourselves.

STUDENTS and FANS of sick art and design: Join our Digital Street Team, and if you make art too, enter our SPECIAL EDITIONS Contests.

 It’s up to all of us to big up each other on this one. Make links, talk about it, make cards and pass them out, email your friends, anything you can do to help. Let’s make the most of this opportunity…

 Thanks for sharing your time with me. Peace.