What is Beautify Earth?

Beautify Earth is a marketplace for murals. We connect artists, landlords and funding sources to convert our world's outdoor wall spaces into public art galleries—unlocking the economic and social benefits of art for both businesses and communities, while giving brands an authentic, organic way to engage consumers.

How did this company come about?

In 2013, we began as a non-profit (then called Beautify Earth, now called The Beautify Earth Foundation) dedicated to putting an end to what we called “ugly wall syndrome.” For the next six years we ourselves painted, or facilitated the creation of thousands of murals around the world. Over the course of our work, we learned how difficult it was to perform the major steps necessary for the creation of mural: i.e. securing available walls; lining up funding sources; negotiating on design-related issues; project management; permitting, upkeep, etc. We also began to receive so many requests from property owners and brands desirous of creating murals, that we couldn’t meet the demand—especially as a non-profit with no full-time employees or custom technology. In face of those two factors, we expanded into a for-profit-for-purpose company to scale our efforts via technology and marketplace economics.

Who are the main parties / stakeholders involved in a mural project?

For most mural projects, there are 2-3 major parties required to create a mural:

• An artist to paint the mural
• A property owner providing the wall for the mural
• A funding source, like corporate brand, a non-profit organization or a local government, that wants to commission a mural

How does the marketplace work?

A: The marketplace aims to connect the three major parties necessary for the creation of a mural. (See the question above for more on those parties). On the ‘Search Artists’ section of the marketplace, any party interested in commissioning a mural can evaluate various artists’ mural portfolios. When that party finds an artist whose style they like, they can contact that artist and begin the process of commissioning a mural. On the ‘Search Walls’ section of the marketplace, both artists and 3rd-party funding sources can find walls that are available to have murals painted on them. Either party can then reach out to the owner of that wall and begin the process of painting or commissioning a mural.

Are the wall dimensions exact?

No, they are approximations for estimation purposes only.

Why am I brought to a login screen whenever I try to contact a wall owner or artist?

You need to be logged in to perform either of those functions. (As Beautify is currently in testing, we’ve only extended invites to a small handful of Beta testers. Please feel free to sign up to join our waiting list.)

FOR ARTISTS: What are the financials for a project? What is the commission structure?

For most projects, the artist receives 70% of the total project fee, while Beautify receives a commission of 30%. Beautify’s 30% commission covers the following:

• Wall-scouting & acquisition
• Artist-discovery
• Design iteration & negotiation
• Permitting
• Contracting
• Insurance
• Payments

FOR ARTISTS: On wall listing pages, there's an icon indicating whether or not that wall is funded. What does that mean?

It means that at a minimum, the cost of paint and materials will be covered. And there is likely money pledged to cover your design and execution fees. (That amount varies greatly based on factors like the size of the wall, the creative brief, the schedule, etc. Please contact us on a per-project/wall basis for details...)

FOR ARTISTS: Do projects come with set budgets and creative briefs?

Some projects DO already have an approved budget and creative brief. Many, however, DO NOT. In those cases, we encourage you to submit to us a budget proposal and a creative brief. When we've established a match between client and artist, you will be able to fine-tune negotiate your terms. And while will not be setting rates for either party, but we will educate clients to help set expectations and mitigate unrealistic expectations. (From our years of non-profit work, we know full well that most clients do not know how much a mural should cost.)

FOR ARTISTS: May I bid on any project?

Yes, you may bid on any project, regardless of whether that wall is 'funded' or 'un-funded.'

FOR ARTISTS: Will contracts be provided by Beautify or will I be able to use my own standard agreement?

We will provide contracts and terms of service for both parties. These contracts can be amendable on a case-by-case basis for either party involved. Artist rights will be enforced and respected at the highest standard. The end goal is to protect all parties, set clear expectations and support the facilitation of the project from start to finish.

FOR ARTISTS: Will I have direct contact with the client during the design phase?

For the first few months after our launch, no. While our ultimate goal is to be able to provide a technological platform that facilitates direct contact between client and artist, we're not quite ready to roll out those collaborative feature-sets just yet. So for now, we will play an intermediary role as we ramp up our technical and operational capabilities.

FOR ARTISTS: What happens if a client backs out during the budgeting / design phase?

We've established several safeguards to mitigate that risk: Once a project "matches", we will collect a non-refundable design fee from the client to begin the design phase. The fee for the design phase comprises a portion of the total budget, and rolls into the project budget once we agree to a final design. If the client backs out, the design fee is paid out to the artist and Beautify (based on the commission-split structure described above). In addition, we will limit the number of renderings a client may request. Additional renderings above that limit will incur an additional fee paid out to the artist. The entire process described here will be agreed upon and contractually sealed prior to your engagement with the client.

FOR ARTISTS: How does this marketplace benefit me as an artist?

Our goal is to help you, as an artist, in three main ways: find walls avaiable for mural-painting; get commissions to paint murals; and supply a venue for you to share your work with the public.

FOR ARTISTS: How will I be paid?

We will collect the design fees from the client and then hold it in escrow. Upon the completion of various project milestones, we will pay you via electronic direct deposit or a physical check.

FOR ARTISTS: Can any artist register on this site?

For the moment, we are personally inviting each artist. If there's an artist you think we should consider, please feel free to reach out to us via email.

FOR ARTISTS: By participaing in this marketplace, am I exclusively committing myself to work as a Beautify muralst?

Absolutely not.

How should I go about pricing a mural project?

Please see our mural-pricing guide here. (It's got all kinds of fancy formatting that we couldn't put in an FAQ answer ;-)