Award-Winning Artist K Ryan Henisey Promises New Experience in Fine Art with Artlounge Collective

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Award-winning artist, grants recipient, and entrepreneur K. Ryan Henisey promises a new experience in fine art with the launch of Artlounge Collective. The California-based company starts its first year with an exhibit in the Magic Box at the Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel, new art and artists listed and Artlounge.co, and looks ahead to opening a retail storefront in the spring of this year.

“As a working artist, gallery-cooperative president, and experienced corporate marketer, I kept seeing a gap between artist expectations and consumer habits,” explains Henisey. “Artlounge Collective is about bridging that divide.

“There is a massive consumer audience for original fine art—hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide,” he continues, “but many artists miss the fact that more than half of all artwork sold for less than one thousand dollars (US) last year. At Artlounge, we work closely with our artists to provide top-quality original and creative works at prices accessible to the widest range of the US public.”

Henisey brings years of experience in the arts and retail to fine art management and curation with Artlounge Collective. He previously worked for major cruise lines, overseeing product management and publication for a half-billion dollar segment of the global tour industry, among other notable accolades. An award-winning artist and recipient of a 2021 public arts grant from the City of West Hollywood, Henisey is also the president of TAG Gallery in Los Angeles where he oversees more than fifty annual fine art displays a year.

“Ryan has built a community of trust with many LA-artists and I knew I wanted to join him on this new venture,” says Justin Prough, whose art collection, The Fictional Reality of California Beach Culture produced by Artlounge Collective, displays at the Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel. “As a fellow artist, he has a deep understanding of how to balance an individual’s artistic goals with the reality of everyday consumers.”

Artlounge Collective partners with living, contemporary artists, to provide unique and creative fine art pieces accessible to everyday Americans. The organization’s premieres feature artists and performers in a growing network of welcoming venues and pop-up events.

“Artlounge was created with artists in mind,” says Henisey. “Inspired by the talents and skills of friends and colleagues and the lack of opportunities available to most artists, I started to dream of a new way to share fine art experiences with everyday people. Artlounge Collective focuses on artists and creating inviting fine art experiences because as a creative I believe in the transformative power of art. Whether enjoying unique pieces at home or celebrating premieres in our lounges, I know that art invokes power, charging the spaces around it with beauty and meaning.”

The company’s first exhibition is now showing in the Magic Box at the Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel, located along the famed Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, through March 27, 2022. Each fine art piece within the collection is printed on white-washed wood veneer. Displayed artworks are float-mounted to varnished wood, wired and ready to hang in any space. To celebrate this collection, Mondrian Los Angeles offers a “Fictional Reality” penthouse package, which includes an exclusive piece from the artist when guests book the promotion on the hotel’s website.

“The places, people and experiences are real, but what interests me are the stories,” the artist, Prough, explains the exhibited art. “I photograph various props, dolls and cars in real locations to make a rough photo composite. From the composite, I digitally paint the photographed scene. I enjoy printing on wood veneers to enhance the fictionalized moment and its sunny, beach-day color palette.”

Prough is a Los Angeles based artist whose work reflects the struggle between sunny days, good waves and the environmental and political unrest of our times. The top-talent marketer and fine artist enjoys telling visual stories by connecting ideas with materials and processes. Prough’s art recently exhibited at University of Redlands and the artist enjoyed a near sell-out show at TAG Gallery, spring 2021.

Artlounge Collective represents artist Miss Art World, Miss Brightside, Joanna Chrysohoidis. Chuck Hohng, Shalla Javid, Ed Lightner, Nelson Munares, Jennette Nearhood, Justin Prough, Joseph Salerno, Sküt, and John Waiblinger. Visual, sculptural, and performance artists are encouraged to apply for opportunities online.

Artlounge Collective plans to open a storefront location in Los Angeles, spring 2022. Temporary offices are located at 5458 Wilshire Blvd. Suite A, LA, CA 90036. 323-481-2205. [email protected]

Contacts

Media Contact: Pattern & Matrix, K Ryan Henisey, 424.326.3446, [email protected]