What is Artenango?
- Artenango provides a centralized community space for seekers and lovers of Latin American art to gather and follow the work and people who enchant and inspire them, and to confidently and securely purchase those works from anywhere in the world. Artenango is also a place for artists to come together in community to exchange ideas, find opportunities, and celebrate and learn from each other.
- Artenango.com can be likened to a virtual Central Market for all things Latin Art, a virtual extension of Artenango’s soon-to-be Antigua Gallery and Gathering Space. It’s a place for artists to display their work to the global art community and for artisans to extend the reach of the rich cultural heritage their crafts embody.
- Artenango’s founders believe that the world needs the full spectrum of the truth and beauty of Latin American art as a manifestation of our own and our shared humanity, now more than ever as we stand looking ahead at a future promising wild societal shifts. Up until now, that hasn’t been possible at scale. Artenango is passionately dedicated to breaking every barrier and creating truly sustainable infrastructure to make it possible for Latin American artists to take a seat at the table.
Who may submit an application to list art with Artenango?
Artenango is a platform that brings together Latin artists and the global community of those who love and support art lovers and support the art, heritage, and culture of Latin America. We are proud to represent artists of high renown, ascending artists, emerging artists, and heritage craftspersons who preserve and contemporize the artisanal work rooted in the ancient cultures of Latin America.
If you are an artist or creator of handmade heritage art, we invite you to contact us through our online form here. If internet is not accessible, you may contact us directly at info@artenango.com
What does an application entail?
The application form will collect:
- Demographic information (name, contact info, etc)
- Brief description of the type of work you do
- CV – when you became an artist, any studies you have completed, where your art has been displayed, awards or recognition you have received for your work
- Images of approximately 5 of your artworks.
Once this information has been received by Artenango, we will evaluate whether we currently have a market for your work. Artenango has a team of curators who will contribute to the decision making process regarding artists whose work we can represent. While we will not be able to list every single artist or artisan at the same time, we are truly dedicated to being a platform for the artist, giving visibility and voice to the people of Latin America through a wide representation of art.
Please apply! ALL artists will be invited to join a community exclusively of and for Latin American artists with opportunities to network, share ideas and information, and participate in classes and events.
If we are currently able to support you and your work, we’ll set up a time for an interview to discuss a bit more about how you became an artist, your interests, inspirations, and the work that you do. You will be matched with one of the founders, who will serve as your point of contact. Artenango will create a profile page with images and text that you choose and approve to amplify your mission, vision, and work to our clients. You’ll also receive training on how to upload your work and access your data, track your views, likes, follows, and sales.
What does Artenango do to promote art and artists and sell our work?
Artenango works in multiple ways to promote Latin American artists and get their art sold! Artenango can do all these things because of the community of Artists coming together. With collaborative efforts and pooled resources, we are achieving amazing things together!
- Marketing: Get the word out about the work that artists are doing in Guatemala and beyond, reaching a wide audience through general advertising, using social media, and creating relationships with individuals, organizations and businesses that consume and promote art and artisan work. Artenango.com also provides a community space for lovers of Latin American art and culture to convene and interact and communicates by email with clients regularly regarding Latin American art, culture, history, and notifies them when their favorite artists upload new pieces or have events.
- Gallery and Gathering Space: Artenango is renovating our space in Antigua, expected to be open for all things Artenango in late 2024.
- Business Relationships: Artenango has relationships with many organizations in Guatemala, the USA, and internationally to establish its legitimacy and reliability. Artenango also offers direct customer service in English and Spanish, assisting customers at every step of the purchasing process from considering pieces to ensuring a safe delivery and full satisfaction.
- Trustworthy Platform: Aside from looking nice, Artenango.com uses highest-quality secure software and servers for transactions that are protected from hackers and accessible to all our international clients. We have agreements with the major credit card companies and banks in the US and Guatemala to ensure seamless financial transactions and safety for both the customer and Artenango.
- Packing and Shipping: Artenango packs art and work securely and ensures that all necessary documentation for export and import is in place. Artenango also handles taxes, tariffs, customs fees, and the many challenges that can arise with international shipping of art. All artwork that we ship is insured. Artenango.com provides customers with a dashboard to track the progress of their artwork from their profile.
- Full Guarantee: If a client should be less than fully satisfied with their purchased art, they may return up to one work of art within a 14 day period. The artist is not charged for the returned art unless this is their preference.
- Financial and Data Services for Artists: Artenango will provide the Artist with the factura etc. related to all sales, and will file appropriately with the SAT. Artists will also have on their profile dashboard all the data related to the views of their art, followers’ likes, shares, etc.
- Artists’ Community: Artenango.com has two communities for Latin American artists. Our broad community is open to every artist who has created a full profile and been verified by the curators, while our focused community is for artists whose work is listed on Artenango.com.
How does Artenango pay for all of this?
There is no cost to an artist to work with Artenango.
An artist sets the price for their own work, provided it is not lower than the standard market pricing that Artenango posts on our Artists’ Portal. If an artist has priced a work at lower than the standard market price, Artenango will adjust the price upwards (never downwards). Artenango guarantees that the artist will receive this full price for any work sold through Artenango.com.
When a piece of artwork is posted to Artenango.com for sale, the listed sale price will demonstrate a commission of approximately 30-40%. The cost to the consumer includes the artists’ price plus the costs that Artenango incurs in marketing, platform management, import/export fees, shipping fees and insurance, offering a full guarantee, and the staff work in curating, customer service, packing, outreach, and myriad sundries.
What happens when a piece of work sells on Artenango?
When a piece of work sells on Artenango, the artist will bring the work to one of the collection centers for Artenango and will receive payment at that time. Upon receipt of the (intact) piece of work, Artenango will be fully responsible for shipping, export documentation and taxes/fees, customs, import documentation and taxes/fees, all communication with the customer, and for the financial impact should a client return an artwork within the 14 guaranteed days. If a piece is returned by the customer, you will not be asked to refund your payment and Artenango will become the owner of the piece and may use it for resale, rental, display, or other promotional use. If you would like your returned work back in lieu of payment, you may indicate this in your personal agreement with Artenango.
Can I sell a piece of art that I have listed on Artenango to a non-Artenango private client?
Artists may pursue many avenues to promote and sell their art, and Artenango is pleased to be on this journey with you! There is no penalty or cost imposed on an artist who sells their work privately, of course with the understanding that the client did not come to the work or artist through Artenango’s platform. An artist is welcome to direct a potential client to purchase through the website if the financial/tax services that Artenango provides are useful. If an artist sells a piece of art to a client without utilizing the Artenango platform, the artist must immediately update his or her profile to indicate that this piece has been sold privately. If an artist wishes to utilize Artenango’s shipping service to send your work domestically or internationally, you can access this function through your profile and may either bring your artwork to us for packing and shipping or pack it yourself and arrange for pickup directly with the shipper.
Please note: Artenango is able to do a LOT of work because we are privileged to work on behalf of a great number of artists and artisans, collaboratively. Prices are set to recognize the worth of each artists’ work, to make sure pricing is fair on the global market, and to truly advance the value of Latin American art globally. Our margins are thin, intentionally, and we are happy to do this work alongside each of you. We believe strongly that, together, we are changing the status quo and elevating the voice of the Latin American artist on the world stage – critical work, as you as artists are the voice of your communities. This takes all of us.
An artist who violates the community values by undermining the collective work and selling under the table to customers reached through the Artenango platform will be disbarred from participation in the community. This not only disregards the efforts of Artenango but also undercuts the community, cheapening the value of Latin American art. The artists’ presence in the community is predicated on their adherence to an ethical, community-focused code of conduct.
