Museums are a wonderful way to see art and to make art accessible to the public. On the opposite spectrum of accessibility are private collections, locked away in the homes, or sometimes simply the storage facilities, of collectors. Even for many museums it is true that only a fraction of their collection is on display at one time. And of course while you can admire art in a museum (and sometimes in a private collection), you can’t own it.
Otis is working to provide an exciting alternative to both public museums and private collections, using mobile phones as the point of access. You can download the Otis app and then indicate your interest in works of art and cultural artifacts that Otis will purchase. Once the SEC has qualified Otis’s offerings you will then be able to purchase shares of these works in small increments (download and sign up to learn about upcoming works). At the same time Otis is committed to displaying these works to the public in changing locations.
We believe that this approach has the potential to make art exciting for a new generation of collectors while increasing its broad accessibility. More than just traditional art, Otis will also make other cultural artifacts available for investment, such as sneakers and skateboards. We are thrilled to be backing Michael Karnjanaprakorn, who previously founded Skillshare, and the team at Otis.