Artpaper and Artz id team up for a brighter 2021
If 2020 has led to any positive outcome, it was definitely the spirit of collaboration and empathy that emerged amongst the Maltese artistic community during a challenging year. In previous years, fragmentation has shown itself as a recurrent issue within the artistic sphere. This year brought along a drastic and most-welcomed change in how artists, creatives and others involved on the local scene supported each other and collaborated on some remarkable projects. This pandemic has taught us the need to act collectively. As a result of this Creative entrepreneurs; Maria Galea, the founder of ARTZ ID and Lily Agius, founder of Lily Agius Gallery and co-founder of Artpaper, saw this moment as a time to join forces.
ARTZ ID, an online community for the visual arts sector, launched in March 2020 amid a lockdown during the pandemic, at a moment where it was probably needed the most. The idea came about back in 2018 in response to a lack of communication, collaboration and centralised point of support within the artistic community. The platform was created by I AM ltd and partially funded by Arts Council Malta through the Creative Industries Platform. The core focus of the initiative is to promote and create sustainability within the arts. Founder Maria Galea stated that it is essential that “before moving forward we must first get together.” ARTZ ID was the first project launched through the company, with over 230 members joining in the first few months. The pandemic has changed many plans for the platform however it quickly pivoted to what the community needed in these uncertain times, focusing on supporting, collaborating and cherishing artistic talent and professionals.
Lily Agius was one of the very first members to join and support this initiative. Lily is well-known and respected within the artistic community. Since presenting her first exhibition in 2004 and opening her Sliema gallery in 2011, she has represented and exhibited a large number of local and international artists. Her continuous work to promote contemporary art in Malta and abroad has contributed greatly to the artistic community. In November 2017, her experience working as an art journalist with an extensive background in Marketing led her to launch Artpaper, an art and design newspaper focusing on the promotion of contemporary art, artists and current topics within the art scene locally and internationally.
Creative Entrepreneurs all in for collaboration
Maria and lily started collaborating on various initiatives and calls back in March, and continoued supporting each other throughout the year. This year Artpaper launched its online platform and what better way to celebrate this achievement other than a partnership between two women sharing the same passion for the arts? We are very excited to announce that ARTZ ID and Artpaper are officially teaming up, giving the artistic community further reach and opportunities by joining forces.
The main aim behind this collaboration is to create a more connected industry, by sharing resources, content and giving the artistic community added exposure through their events and projects. Curated calls and competitions will be at the core of this collaboration creating new aspirations and achievements for artists and art professionals. The future of art and culture demands that we reimagine ways to move forward by working together and creating sustainable long-lasting change. This is a great start and only just the beginning for a more accessible, inclusive and collaborative artistic community.
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