Today we’d like to introduce you to Alessandra Salituri.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My mother is an artist, and I grew visiting galleries, art fairs and the ateliers of her friends. Being brought up in such a creative environment really inspired in me a passion for interior design and art at a young age. When I was 19, I started working as an artist manager and that eventually transitioned into work as an art dealer. One challenge I always had was sourcing art that spoke to my aesthetic and taste. I love art that has a soulful, dreamy and slightly edgy touch. In 2014, I launched Citizen Atelier which is an online art gallery that represents the work of 30+ international artists and photographers. My hope has been to make the art buying process more accessible by curating a collection of unique prints at a variety of price points.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Deciding to start Citizen Atelier was definitely the best decision I made. It’s been so gratifying and fulfilling to have the potential to bring a vision to reality.
Starting a business definitely has its challenges. For me, perhaps the greatest one was that as a young art dealer, I didn’t have many companies/individuals to look to for inspiration- especially back when I was first conceptualizing the online gallery. It required me to rely a great deal on my intuition and maintain faith in my idea.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Citizen Atelier – what should we know?
The vision behind Citizen Atelier is that art has the ability to completely transform a space. We want people to be able to source art that they love and is a reflection of who they are. We seek to make the art buying process easier by ensuring each piece has only the highest-quality materials, and also by providing both the art and framing (through our partners at Simply Framed) in one place.
I’m excited that we’ll soon be launching Citizen Atelier Home – a curated collection of home decor pieces with an artistic touch, such as wallpapers and accessories.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
One thing I’ve learned in this process is it really takes a village to make a business succeed. I owe so much to my cousin Gabriel who is our technical director- he has been there from day 1 and involved in every aspect of building and helping market the site.
Also, my colleague Camille has been one of my biggest cheerleaders and supporters; she’s helped keep everything rolling and manage communications and PR.
These two are definitely part of my ‘tribe’ and I couldn’t imagine running the business without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.citizenatelier.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @citizenatelier
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/citizenatelier
- Twitter: @citizenatelier
Image Credit:
Ashley Capp
Christine Dovey
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