will crowdfunding and innovation work for art platforms?

dav adé
Apr 2
2 min read

tldr;

BLANK is launching canada’s first visual arts competition series, and we are starting with a pilot that rejects the old rules. no eliminations. no "exposure" as payment. just 8 artists, 8 challenges, and a $3,000 cash prize. we are raising $15,000 on kickstarter to get the cameras rolling on april 26th, proving that the community is a better investor than any corporate gatekeeper.

reclaiming the creative process as the main event.

we have competition shows for chefs, fashion designers, and even glassblowers... but for the visual artist, there is a hollow silence. in canada, artists are often expected to struggle in isolation, competing for scraps while waiting for the right person to notice them.

BLANK is the bridge. it is a bingeable, 30-minute competition series built for youtube and social media, designed to treat the creative process itself as the drama. we aren't interested in cutting people for the sake of a safe play. our 8 artists stay for the entire journey, meaning they grow while earning points for risk-taking and creative courage.

the anatomy of the pilot

on april 26th, 2026, we film our pilot at the sandbox at toronto metropolitan university. thanks to our partnership with oddside arts, we have the space... now we need the monetary fuel for production.

our cast and judges are locked and these are the faces of the movement. we interviewed 27 artists while building this show, and the message was unanimous: we need this.

transparency by the numbers

we’ve shared our "human-first" budget before, but now the stakes are real. your support on kickstarter goes directly into the hands of the people making the work.

production & editing: $16,950 for our professional crew and high-level cinematic execution.
artist stipends & fees: $4,950 to ensure our creators are paid for their time, not just their "potential".
materials & logistics: $2,850 for the raw tools of the art challenges.
marketing & contingency: $4,039 to build the audience and protect against the unforeseen.

our $15,000 goal covers the core production. if we hit our stretch goals of $22k or $30k, we can fully cover every artist stipend and push for a wide distribution that takes BLANK beyond toronto to lagos, london, and beyond.

the BLANK perspective: back a movement, not a show

as founders of jamaican-canadian and nigerian heritage, we know that time does not wait for anyone. we are tired, we are parenting, and we are building this while navigating the what life is like when you're your own boss... but we are fueled by the knowledge that we are creating the world our children deserve to see.

when you back BLANK, you are becoming a founder of the platform visual artists have never had. you are choosing equity over exposure. you are in the room where it starts.