Merrick Porchéddu on NFT Innovation Through Artist Uprising

Artist Uprising connects creative talent with large corporations and businesses. The company started with Merrick's passion for artists and her desire to see "starving artists" get paid. Many talented artists lack business skills. There is a need for them to bridge the gap between their work and the business world. Both sides have a hard time communicating their needs. Merrick comes in and helps them get on the same page. When it comes to finding artists, Merrick does a lot of work through Instagram. Her team focuses on acquiring talent that isn't mega-famous yet but still has large followings. Having consistent content that has a purpose is very important as well. Merrick refers to word of mouth as one of the best ways to find solid talent, similar to how the corporate world operates. Artist Uprising and Innovation When the conversation of NFTs started getting popular, Merrick got flooded with requests from artists wanting to collaborate. NFTs are digital assets that are purchased and represent things like pieces of art. Artist Uprising eventually hosted the first NFT pop-up gallery in the Richardson area, the third in the country. The event was successful and boosted the business. In Richardson, Artist Uprising pulls in local artists to work on murals, augmented reality murals, live music activations, live music festivals, etc. For businesses, they even bring in musicians to perform at monthly happy hours. During COVID, murals were the company's principal work. Since musicians couldn't play live shows, they augmented pre-recorded concerts within art murals. Collaboration Success Now more than ever, Merrick believes that brands want to connect with creatives. Last year, Artist Uprising collaborated with Cannon USA when they were coming out with a poster printer. The commercial was artist-focused rather than product-focused, which promoted the printer in perfect light. Large collaborations are often challenging to make authentic, but they can be done with the right people and focus. Artists live and breathe ideation, but when companies are over-controlling, they halt that creativity. Artist Uprising educates and brings both parties together, resulting in unique innovations that benefit everyone. About our Guest: Merrick Porcheddu Merrick is the Founder of Artist Uprising, a business resource for talent and a talent resource for business. They focus on abolishing starving artistry by curating and booking talent and creative experiences for brands and organizations. Merrick is becoming an NFT expert in Richardson, Texas. She is passionate about bridging the gap between creatives and the corporate world.