Bottled water isn't the most exciting of grocery store choices. Dasani or Aquafina? Fiji or Nestle Pure Life? Blue label, blue label or blue label?
Art2o is out to change all that. Via human's number one necessity, the Miami-based company is looking to bring art appreciation to the masses.
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The point of the collection is to make art more attainable, putting it in the hands of regular Joes and Janes who might not otherwise have an interest.
Founder Claudia López lived in Paris, and took art history classes at the Louvre that helped spark a passion for all things art.
"I studied for three years. I studied art history and that completely changed my life. I started seeing the world in a very different way," she explains.
She started doing art tours, and decided to expand into something accessible to everyone.
"Why not literally put art in people's hands? If you put art on a bottled water people are going to walk around with a beautiful bottle. And there's a moment where they're going to say, whose art is this?" The water, by the way, is sourced from a naturally alkaline spring (7.8 - 7.9 pH), so this isn't tap water in disguise.
López chooses the artists displayed on the labels via several different means. Some, she hand picks, others she researches to find and still others are chosen via contests.
"We're hosting a contest that we just posted. We're inviting artists to submit on our Facebook page. The ones with the most likes from fellow artists will be featured on a bottle."
The Art2o website and gallery are resources for people to learn more about the artists and even purchase the original pieces.
"So we have our gallery, too. It's like a whole package for the artists. They can showcase their art and sell it We want to be a real platform for them," López says. The gallery is located at 220 NW 27th St. in Wynwood.
The company hosted a launch event last week as part of Art Basel. Their inaugural bottle collection was on sale, including Lois Eby (inspired by Kandinsky), Erwin Esquivel (inspired by Frida Kahlo), Pablo Contrisciani (inspired by Willem de Kooning), and Havi Schanz (inspired by Andy Warhol). They plan to release future collections on its labels inspired by the likes of Klimt, Miró, Matisse, Monet, Renoir, Pollock, Chagall, Michelangelo, Lichtenstein, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci.
They've also got a nonprofit component. Five cents from every bottle purchased will support Art2o Inc., the company's charity endeavor. Funding will be used to support art exhibitions for discovered and undiscovered artists, create educational opportunities for aspiring artists and provide resources for artists of all backgrounds.
Currently, you can scoop the bottles up at 360 Space, and they'll soon be available at select retailers, galleries, restaurants and hotels from between $2 to $4. Check them out at Art2owater.com.
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