The creative industry faced a pervasive problem of artist-brand exploitation, with unfair contracts and power imbalances undermining collaborative potential between artists and agencies. Critical Mass and artist Shantell Martin recognized the need to establish new industry standards for artist-agency partnerships while addressing transparency issues that obstructed creative quality.
The challenge required creating a platform that could facilitate meaningful dialogue about artist rights, equity in contract negotiations, and intellectual property while providing tangible support tools and resources for artists. The goal was to design a comprehensive program that would enact rapid industry-wide change and build infrastructure for transparent, equitable collaboration models between artists and brands.
Launched a Webby Award-nominated website that became the foundation for the CM:AIR program
Generated over 3,100 LinkedIn impressions and 875+ viewers across LinkedIn and YouTube for the Artist Roundtable event
The CM:AIR program with website successfully launched with an Artist Roundtable featuring industry luminaries from diverse creative backgrounds, sparking essential conversations about creating real change for future generations of artists. The program conducted interviews with five artists to understand their biggest challenges when working with brands, providing a safe artist-to-artist space for transparent dialogue about experiences and exploitation in the industry.
Critical Mass and Shantell Martin collaborated to design the "AIR Map," a functional art piece serving as a roadmap for artists working with brands and businesses. This map embodied CM:AIR's principle of nutrition by illustrating how artists' programmatic work feeds back to the industry, brands, and emerging artists. The program gained significant visibility when invited to speak on the main stage at South by Southwest (SXSW), further amplifying the conversation about artist-brand relationships at major industry events.
