Tiffany & Co.'s annual award will give free studio time to aspiring artists. Image credit: Tiffany & Co.
U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co. is partnering with the Outset Contemporary Art Fund to offer seven rent-free studios in London for young, recent graduates of some of London’s top art schools.
The partnership is meant to nurture young artists by helping them navigate the financially difficult early days of an art career when money is tight and studio time is desperately needed. Tiffany has released a short video series showcasing some of the art already created by the young artists who will make use of these free studios.
Art awards
The fine art world is competitive and hostile to newcomers. While seasoned artists can command astronomical prices for their works, new artists face an uphill battle to make it in the industry.
But due to the relationship between art and fashion, many luxury brands are invested in the nurturing of new artists.
This idea is at the heart of Tiffany’s new partnership with the Outset Contemporary Art Fund, which seeks to offer financial assistance to young and upcoming artists.
Tiffany & Co. x Outset Studiomakers Award
The jeweler is sponsoring the Tiffany & Co x Outset Studiomakers Prize, which will be awarded to students from some of London’s top art schools, including Royal Academy Schools, the Royal College of Art, Slade School of Fine Art, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, Wimbledon College of Arts and Goldsmiths University of London.
Winners of the prize will be given the studios provided by Tiffany rent-free for their personal use for 12 months along with a shared gallery room in Tottenham between all the recipients.
Tiffany has also profiled several of the winners of the first instance of the prize in a series of videos shared on the jeweler's social media channels. In each video, the artists talk about their work, their inspiration and what it means for them to receive this award.
Inspirational sources
While the art and luxury worlds often intertwine, Tiffany in particular has taken inspiration from art for the designs of some of its most popular products.
For example, Tiffany & Co. found inspiration in The Art of the Wild for its annual Tiffany Blue Book, a catalog of its high-jewelry.
Since 1845, Tiffany’s annual Blue Book has been a traditional direct mailed catalog featuring the jeweler’s latest in high-jewelry, but the brand has steadily incorporated digital touchpoints to increase interaction while exploring its influences for a given year. The 2017 Tiffany Blue Book is being explored this year through a social video that takes viewers behind-the-scenes at the jeweler’s atelier (see story).
Most recently, Tiffany has been strengthening its digital tools and experiences for customers.
Tiffany & Co. x Outset Studiomakers Award
While many luxury marketers have chosen to sidestep the growing demand of digital, Tiffany & Co., Sotheby’s and XOJet are brands that have stayed on top by introducing interactive technology-focused efforts.
Luxury Interactive has profiled these brands and how they were able to adapt to the digital age such as Tiffany flexing its social media muscles in a way that makes its marketing extremely personal, boosting engagement but also keeping its high-end image (see story).
With its latest partnership with Outset, Tiffany & Co. is showing its commitment to helping young artists by cultivating their blossoming careers and helping them establish themselves early on. In doing so, Tiffany is not only enriching the art world, but also strengthening a source of inspiration for some of its own products.