UGallery
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{notability|Companies|date=October 2015}}
UGallery is a curated online art gallery headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2006, UGallery is an e-commerce platform that connects artists directly with collectors on its website. The company positions itself as an approachable and convenient alternative to the brick-and-mortar contemporary art gallery.{{Cite web|title = New study: many find buying art more intimidating than buying real estate|url = http://www.privateartinvestor.com/owning-art/new-study-many-find-buying-art-more-intimidating-than-buying-real-estate/|website = Private Art Investor|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}{{Cite news|last=Zipkin|first=Amy|date=2018-02-09|title=A Lifetime of Making Art, but New to Selling It Online|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/business/lifetime-making-art-new-to-selling-online.html|access-date=2021-10-14|issn=0362-4331}}{{Infobox company
| name = UGallery
| logo = File:Ugallery logo.jpg
| type = Private company
| foundation = 2006
| founder = Stephen Tanenbaum, Alex Farkas, Greg Rosborough
| location = San Francisco, CA
| area_served = Worldwide
| industry = {{unbulleted list|E-Commerce|Art Gallery}}
| products = Original Artwork
| homepage = [http://www.ugallery.com www.ugallery.com]
History
The company was founded by Alex Farkas, Stephen Tanenbaum and Greg Rosborough.{{Cite web|title = College Business Plans that Made the Grade|url = http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/182608|website = Entrepreneur|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} The three met in a business class at the University of Arizona. Sharing an interest in the arts, they developed the concept for UGallery through the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program.{{Cite web|title = McGuire Program grad UGallery continues to connect people and art|url = https://entrepreneurship.eller.arizona.edu/news-article/mcguire-program-grad-ugallery-continues-connect-people-and-art|website = McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} The UGallery.com website launched in September 2006.{{Cite web|title = Get Schooled|url = http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/167156|website = Entrepreneur|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}
Originally seen as a way to help recent art school graduates find buyers, UGallery began with five artists and 25 pieces of original art.{{Cite web|title = A Conversation With UGallery Co-Founders Alex Farkas and Stephen Tanenbaum|url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonborbet/2015/06/04/a-conversation-with-ugallery-co-founders-alex-farkas-and-stephen-tanenbaum/|website = Forbes|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} Securing outside capital in 2008,{{Cite web|title = Ugallery Funding & Ugallery Investors – CB Insights|url = https://www.cbinsights.com/company/ugallery-funding|website = www.cbinsights.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} the company shifted its focus to mid-career and emerging artists from around the world.
= Gallery =
As of February 2014, UGallery exhibits the work of 500 professional artists and more than 6,500 pieces of original paintings, fine-art photography, drawings and sculptures.{{Cite web|title = Fine art moves from gallery to the Web|url = http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25032838/fine-art-moves-from-gallery-web|website = www.mercurynews.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} The company counts clients in every U.S. state and over 45 countries,{{Cite web|title = Stephen Tanenbaum, small business expert, on small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show|url = http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-experts/stephen-tanenbaum-101120|website = www.smallbusinessadvocate.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} as well as 1.7 million social followers.{{Cite web|title = UGallery (ugallery)|url = https://www.pinterest.com/ugallery/|website = Pinterest|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}{{Cite web|title = UGallery.com|url = http://facebook.com/Ugallery|website = facebook.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}{{Cite web|title = UGallery (@UGallery) {{!}} Twitter|url = https://twitter.com/UGallery|website = twitter.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}{{Cite web|title = UGallery (@ugallery) • Instagram photos and videos|url = http://instagram.com/ugallery/|website = instagram.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}
Reception
UGallery was an early entrant to the business of selling original art online.{{Cite web|title = Artist's Toolbox: 30+ Places to Promote Your Art|url = http://mashable.com/2007/09/18/artists-toolbox/|website = Mashable|accessdate = 2015-11-13 |author= Patric Herber}} At the time, many art critics questioned the concept. A 2007 Wall Street Journal article called "the online art marketplace as mottled as a Monet water scene."{{Cite news|title = A Work in Progress: Buying Art on the Web|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119197772816454170|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|access-date = 2015-11-13|issn = 0099-9660|first = Kelly|last = Crow}} By 2012, the online art market was valued at $870 million.{{Cite web|title = Hiscox Report: Online Art Trade 2013|url = http://www.arttactic.com/market-analysis/art-markets/us-a-european-art-market/559-hiscox-report-online-art-trade-2013.html?Itemid=102|website = www.arttactic.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} In 2014, the estimated value of the online art market grew to $2.64 billion, accounting for 4.8% of the estimated $55.2 billion value of the global art market.{{Cite web|title = Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2015|url = http://www.arttactic.com/market-analysis/art-markets/us-a-european-art-market/699-hiscox-online-art-trade-report-2015.html?Itemid=102|website = www.arttactic.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905030328/http://www.arttactic.com/market-analysis/art-markets/us-a-european-art-market/699-hiscox-online-art-trade-report-2015.html?Itemid=102|archivedate = September 5, 2015|df = mdy-all}}
Recognition
In 2011, The Economist called UGallery "unintimidating enough to encourage a new generation of collectors."{{Cite news|title = Clicking your way to an art collection|url = https://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2011/02/affordable_art|newspaper = The Economist|access-date = 2015-11-13|issn = 0013-0613}} In 2013, VentureBeat wrote that UGallery's e-commerce platform is "democratizing the art world."{{Cite web|title = UGallery hits growth milestones as art sales move online (exclusive)|url = https://venturebeat.com/2013/05/14/ugallery-hits-growth-milestones-as-art-sales-move-online-exclusive/|website = VentureBeat|accessdate = 2015-11-13}} The same year, Internet Retailer named UGallery to their Second 500 Guide,{{Cite web|title = Social media and unique products drive sales growth at UGallery|url = https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/06/04/social-media-and-unique-products-drive-sales-growth-ugallery|accessdate = 2015-11-13|first = Stefany|last = Zaroban}} and in 2015, named UGallery the top luxury e-retailer for artwork.{{Cite web|url = http://images.internetretailer.com/IR/Collections/2015_LuxuryReport_IR.pdf|title = Luxury on the Web: Exclusive Rankings, Data and Analysis of the World's Largest Luxury E-Retailers|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = Internet Retailer|last = |first = }}