Bluethumb

Bluethumb is an online art marketplace founded in 2012 by brothers Edward and George Hartley, who grew up in an artistic and entrepreneurial household. Their father was a painter, and this firsthand experience with the struggles artists face, combined with George's background as a UX designer, sparked the idea for the platform. They aimed to create a space where visual artists, who they felt were underserved online compared to musicians, could build sustainable careers.

The company operates as a two-sided marketplace connecting Australian artists directly with a global audience of art lovers, collectors, and interior designers. This model bypasses the traditional gallery system, which the founders found intimidating and exclusive. Bluethumb generates revenue by taking a 30% commission on each art sale, a rate lower than the typical 40-50% charged by brick-and-mortar galleries. The business handles the marketing, logistics, finances, and delivery, allowing artists to focus on their creative work. The platform features a vast collection of original paintings, drawings, photography, limited edition prints, and sculptures. A significant focus is placed on ethically sourced Indigenous Australian art, with the company working with numerous remote Aboriginal Art Centres.

Bootstrapped for the first four years, Bluethumb secured its first round of investment in late 2015 from notable figures like Adam Schwab and Jeremy Same, co-founders of the Lux Group. This funding accelerated growth, technology development, and marketing efforts. A key milestone was winning the QUT Creative Enterprise Australia's Creative3 Pitch in 2015, which led to representing Australia at the Creative Business Cup in Copenhagen. The company launched its mobile app in 2013, which won Best Shopping App in the Australian Mobile & App Design Awards the following year. To complement its online presence, Bluethumb opened its first physical gallery in Melbourne in 2019, followed by a second in Adelaide in 2020. The platform has facilitated over $50 million in revenue for its artists and recently expanded its operations to the United States.

Keywords: online art marketplace, Australian artists, art sales, Indigenous art, art collectors, direct-to-consumer art, art e-commerce, contemporary art, original paintings, art investment, art platform, Aboriginal Art Centres, art logistics, emerging artists, established artists, art curation, Bluethumb Art Prize, Australian art market, art technology, online gallery