Luc Levez

Growing up in the studio

As the son of an artist, I was surrounded by artists before I had language for what that meant. Studios, openings, collectors, dealers, the long quiet between shows — and the people who keep showing up to the work anyway. Those relationships are not abstract to me. They are family, friends, and a network I still work with closely, including through Xochi Art Gallery in Portugal, which I co-founded and built as its digital home.

That closeness is why Atelier exists. I have watched gifted practices bend under rent, materials, framing, travel, and time — not because the work lacked seriousness, but because the market for a finished piece is intermittent while the costs of a practice are continuous.

What I see in the art world

Academic fine art training teaches craft, history, and standards. It does not reliably teach a living. Galleries take their cut when sales happen; residencies and grants are scarce; social platforms reward volume more than depth. Patrons who care often want a closer relationship than a single purchase — and artists need that relationship to be sustainable, not extractive.

Atelier is my attempt to build that middle ground: verified artists with serious training; free following for people who want to stay near the work; monthly membership for people ready to fund the practice between sales. Software will not fix the whole economy of art. It can make a cleaner path between those who make and those who believe in the making.

Why I am building this

My background sits between two worlds I refuse to keep separate: a lifelong immersion in the European art scene, and software engineering. I design and ship platforms so artists are not stuck begging attention from feeds that do not care about their work. Atelier is independent — not a gallery’s marketing site, not a social network dressed up as culture. It is a patronage tool with editorial standards.

I am building it in public, with the same artists and curators I trust, and with the conviction that collectors and supporters deserve a place that treats the practice — not only the object — as worth sustaining.

What it costs to run Atelier

A platform like this is not free to keep online. The main costs:

• Hosting — the app, database, and delivery as the site grows.
• Images & media — storing and serving works, posts, and video.
• Payments — processing memberships and shop checkouts.
• Basics — domain, email, and the tools around the site.
• Time — building, supporting artists, and keeping it going.

Our fee is 10%. That comes off the list price; Stripe’s card processing fee comes out of the artist’s share. Support on this page goes to running Atelier.