Last week, Art Force made buying artwork easier and more affordable for organizations around the country. With a Dollar Fine Art subscription, companies can now purchase artwork with payments as low as $1 a day per piece, making it possible to own a quality piece of art within a years time. To date, the Minneapolis-based Art Force has provided more than 35,000 pieces of art in businesses and health care organizations around the country, inspiring the need for this new subscription service.

Companies understand the importance of utilizing their wall space to communicate their brand, but many of them dont believe they can afford art to do so, said Leslie Palmer Ross, Art Forces Director of Art Services, in a December 5 announcement.

William Kieger, president of Art Force, also commented on the new art subscription service.

By allowing organizations to make affordable payments from their operating budget, we can make purchasing high quality artwork more affordable and accessible to a wider range of clients, said Kieger.

Using Art Forces art selection tool, organizations can choose work from Art Forces database of available art prints from a range of styles including cityscapes, nature, animals, photography, paintings, cause-based artwork, black and white and abstract images. Companies who want extra help can work with experienced Art Force consultants to choose appropriate images, styles and frames. Within 21 days of selection, the artwork is printed, framed and ready to hang by skilled framers and installers. Art Force can also ship the art to an organizations own staff for installation.

To keep the collection fresh, Art Force will add new images as they partner with artists, who are then paid when their work is used.

Were building a platform where artists can have an outlet to promote their work to a wide audience of potential clients. Dollar Fine Art can be a continual source of revenue for these artists based on the sale of their prints, explained Gabe Vespasiano, Art Force marketing manager.

On the Dollar Fine Art website, prospective subscribers can view sample projects, including those Art Force has designed for small businesses, larger corporate clients, health care organizations and hospitality and residential businesses. They can also view hundreds of featured pieces of art.

Dollar Fine Art is not the first art subscription service. Others have tried the subscription model, including GoARTful which allows patrons to rent art for their homes or offices; ArtMail, a subscription art service that connects artists with subscribers; and Electric Objects, a rotating selection of digital art. GoARTful and ArtMail seem to still be in business. Electric Objects was acquired by GIPHY and has changed its model.

Insider Take:

Can the subscription model work for art? Based on the limited number of companies that are dabbling in the service, we arent convinced this is viable. Each company has such a different take on it that a solid model and best practices have not really formulated – similar to the auto subscription model. We are just waiting for the cream to rise to the top.

Dollar Fine Art seems to have the right idea, but it doesnt sound like a subscription service, even if it is being touted as one. It is more of a rent-to-own model, and the term dollar is a misnomer. Buying a piece for a $1 a day actually costs about $365 per year per piece. If an organization buys three or more pieces of art, they are beyond dollars and into the thousands of dollars. That said, they get an A for effort and ingenuity. Maybe they will be the company that can take the art subscription service and make it more of a mainstream offering.