Orangenius is our first member organization specifically focused on art and artists. Founder and CEO, Grace Cho, tells us more about her company and explains why and how they’re integrating ORCID in the Orangenius platform.
Please can you tell us a bit about Orangenius – what your organization does and your role there?
A platform created for artists, by artists, Orangenius was designed to put control back into the creator’s hands. It’s our mission to empower our members with the business tools and educational resources they need to thrive in the creative economy.
We believe that every single artist has the capacity to succeed when armed with the right resources. In founding Orangenius, we’ve created a platform that can help guide artists through the strategic, financial, legal, and operational aspects of their business.
As the founder and CEO of Orangenius, my goal is to help dispel the myth of the starving artist. I believe all creators have the capacity to succeed when armed with the right tools and strategic advice.
When and why did Orangenius get involved with ORCID?
Orangenius got involved with ORCID in 2016 because we felt that your unique identifier model would be an interesting application for the arts. First, there is the obvious opportunity to use unique identifiers to record research papers, books and articles in Arts and Humanities. Secondly, a very intriguing application is that artists are constantly creating new works, and they are sharing those works online. We think it’s a fascinating idea that each artist might be assigned an identifier that would allow patrons to link particular works to their creators.
How does Orangenius use ORCID?
In the Bio section of the platform, Orangenius members who have an ORCID iD can record and share their ID with anyone who visits their profile. Orangenius members who would like to learn more about ORCID can easily do so via the link provided in the Edit function of the Bio page.
What are your future plans for ORCID?
We want to fully integrate ORCID with the Orangenius platform, so that Orangenius members are automatically assigned a digital identifier the moment their profile is created on our site. Additionally, as Orangenius members actively publish their works, the recordation of those events can be integrated between the two platforms. Members can then choose what information from their ORCID record should be showing on their public Orangenius profiles.
What impact has ORCID had in your community?
ORCID has changed the landscape for many researchers as a way of allowing them to identify their work across multiple platforms. ORCID can have a significant impact on artists and art historians, who showcase their work online. ORCID IDs can also function as an added protection for Orangenius artists, who often find others using their work without giving the appropriate credit. With an ORCID partnership, we have the opportunity to educate, train, and inform creatives in the Arts and Humanities field.
What can we do to improve our support for your community?
It would be wonderful to see art historians and curators, who frequently publish extensive research papers and curatorial think pieces, begin using ORCID as an essential resource for keeping a record of their work. In addition, we believe visual artists can benefit from ORCID IDs as an added protection to their creative works. To assist with adoption by the Arts and Humanities community, it would be helpful for ORCID to provide online resources adapted for the arts community. Orangenius is looking forward to working with the ORCID team in the weeks ahead.
What’s your favorite ORCID success story?
Lets us imagine for a moment. What we have found is that curious people are creative people. Many professionals in business and STEM worlds are also excellent artists or art enthusiasts who take their passion seriously. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have ORCID and Orangenius capture all their achievements?
Which three words best describe ORCID for you?
Security. Attribution. Global.