(PILOT) Web exclusive video mini feature with Pleasant Prairie artist Sandy Obertin on the firing process used to create her unique wind chimes on display at Kenosha Art Market Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023.
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Before founding dipp, Jennifer Chen and Mikhail Abramov spent 15 years working as art directors in New York City. During that time, Chen says they realized that the marketing, sales and design process have stayed the same, despite new technology and tools being introduced to the market, and is often riddled with bottlenecks.
“Salespeople have sales needs, they communicate with the marketing team and then once the marketing team has a direction they brief a designer, then the designer goes back to the marketer, and then the marketer goes back to the designer,” she said. “There’s that vicious cycle that slows down the entire process because nobody understands the needs and workflow of the other department.”
Dipp was launched three years ago to automate much of that workflow, and allow marketing and design teams to collaborate more effectively, while focusing on their own performance metrics. For example, if a marketing team wants to update a price on their ad, all they need to do is enter it into a spreadsheet instead of asking a designer. The Taipei-based startup recently raised $1.5 million in seed funding from investors including SparkLabs Taiwan, Palm Drive Capital and content-tech unicorn Tezign, and will launch generative AI-powered features soon.
To use dipp, brands first set up a brand guideline with information including fonts, colors and layout (or they can upload an Adobe Photoshop file). That data is then turned into a dipp file with everything remaining editable. Then prices and other information for ads are uploaded into a spreadsheet, with each row representing a product, so visual assets can be edited in batches. This helps marketing and design teams keep up with the massive amount of visual content that is needed to sell online—Chen said brands typically generate 300 to 500 images at a time, which dipp can help them do in minutes.
dipp’s team
The brands dipp works with are typically Fortune 500 companies in apparel and beauty selling a large number of products, or upwards of 500 SKUs. They have high product rotation rates, often with weekly launches of 20 or more products, and sell on three or more marketplaces, alongside social media advertising campaigns. Chen says most have large sales and marketing teams, but a shortage of designers. Its customers include Levi’s, Estée Lauder and Rakuten. Dipp also works with e-commerce enablers, or agencies that help brands distribute products across multiple channels.
Since its launch, dipp has primarily focused on Taiwan, but is expanding into Southeast Asia, with new clients in Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. Dipp started in New York, but the team decided to move to Taiwan after getting into Taipei-based accelerator Appworks because of the market potential it saw in Asia.
For example, brands here hold a high number of sales promotions. “Throughout the year, it’s not just Black Friday or Christmas, there’s a sale every month,” Chen said. “There’s a busy season starting in June that goes all the way to Chinese New Year.”
In terms of competition, Chen says potential customers often ask how dipp is different from Rocketium, which helps creative teams build very large marketing campaigns. Chen says dipp differentiates by focusing on e-commerce because brands in Asia often sell through multiple online channels at the same time, including PC Home, Momo, Shopee and Lazada. Each marketplace has its own unique guidelines for visual content, including file sizes and dimensions. That information is embedded into dipp’s platform, so brands can automate their ads to fit different requirements.
Dipp is now working on integrating generative AI into its platform to help address gaps between marketing and design departments. For example, it will allow marketers to use prompts to generate images as a first draft of ideas to present to designers. It also automates the process of reviewing designs, or checking details like character limit and formatting to meet the requirements of different marketplaces and social media platforms.
Dipp’s new funding will be used for team expansion, especially in its R&D and business departments.
In a statement, Palm Drive Capital founding partner Seamon Chan said, “With global venture capital investments in generative AI reaching US$1.7 billion in the first quarter of this year, we are thrilled to support dipp in enhancing their e-commerce solution with AI capabilities. As the company has validated its value proposition in Taiwan by offering a much-needed solution to the multichannel e-commerce operation of global brands, we are optimistic that this solution will bring disruptive impact on e-commerce operating workflows through the APAC region.”
As the summer winds to a close and full-time New Yorkers prepare to wrap up their seasonal travels, the moment is ripe for a last hurrah—a weekend getaway or staycation that offers a chance to take in the city at its quietest, while golden hour is still at its prime. The Standard New York’s East Village outpost—the cozy sibling to the Standard’s downtown High Line location—is the perfect locale for an escape or an escapade, striking the delicate balance between luxurious comfort and cocktail-fueled fun.
The hotel, with its sloping and soaring facade, has been a mainstay of the city’s skyline since 2008, and has developed a reputation for eccentric decor and state-of-the-art amenities. Those in search of respite will love The Garden, the full-service restaurant at the heart of the space, which offers guests a chance to relax against a backdrop of twinkling lights and lush greenery.
For something with a bit more buzz, try Café Standard, where lunch is served street-level, presenting a tableau of city life—a perfect place to grab brunch before jumping into the foot traffic of the East Village. After a day in the city, grab a cocktail to kick off the night at NOBAR, a playfully campy watering hole with a perpetual slate of DJs and performers on rotation.
While the city views on display from the rooms of The Standard, East Village are tantalizing enough, the hotel’s interiors are adorned with locally-commissioned works to please the toughest critics. Recently, The Standard commissioned the multidisciplinary interior designer Alex Proba, who previously collaborated with the hotel’s Ibiza outpost, to redesign the iconic red-lipped pillows that adorn each of its spacious rooms—incorporating pops of electric orange and magenta.
Also on view in the space is a mural commissioned by Ukrainian artist WAONE. From Legend to Discovery, 2022, was painted on The Garden’s wall prior to the hotel’s Sunflower Gala, an event that raised money in support of Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Most recently, Rahm Bowen, a New York-based artist whose work explores Black and queer experiences, was tapped to create Beyond the Horizon of Time, 2023, a mural that adorns the outside of NO BAR. The mural’s constellation of figures, rendered in practically every color of the rainbow, set the tone for a night in the hustle and bustle of the city.
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We’re beyond excited to announce our latest limited-edition print collaboration with Chicago-based artist Liz Flores (previously). “Tell Me More” features one of Flores’ signature color-blocked figures in warm shades of pink and neutral tones. Lounging on a patterned rug with delicate tassels lining the perimeter, the woman lets her long braids drape over her body as she entreats the viewer for more.
The giclée print is signed and numbered and available in an edition of 100 from the Colossal Shop.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Tell Me More: Colossal Releases a Limited-Edition Print with Liz Flores appeared first on Colossal.
BEMIDJI — Watermark Art Center is offering a book marketing support group where authors can learn how to market their books on the third Thursday of every month starting in September.
The monthly membership club will offer authors the opportunity to focus on necessary marketing tasks, have accountability to get their marketing done and receive tutelage from an expert book marketing coach.
The group is for serious authors of all publishing paths, a release said. Authors will learn from Emily Enger, founder of Good Enough Book Marketing, and spend time working on the marketing strategies they choose.
The club will hold meetings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month starting in September and running through April 2024, at Watermark’s education studio. Preferred participants are authors of creative genres such as fiction, creative narrative nonfiction or poetry.
Due to limited space, participants must submit an application prior to registration, the release said. If accepted, applicants will receive further instructions to complete the course registration.
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The application process is free. If accepted, the cost for the course is $500. Apply online at
Registration Now Open for 2023 Delaware Arts Summit – State of Delaware News
STATEWIDE, Del. (August 21, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts has announced that registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2023 Delaware Arts Summit, a momentous gathering of Delaware’s arts community including arts professionals, artists, creative minds, and art enthusiasts. This exciting event will take place on October 8 and 9 at the Hyatt Place in Dewey Beach, Delaware, and promises to be inspirational and enlightening. To register and explore the detailed schedule of events, please visit the official Delaware Arts Summit website at Arts.Delaware.Gov/Summit.
Reflection, Renewal, and Rejuvenation are goals for this year’s Arts Summit as we move beyond the challenges of the past several years. The Summit will provide time, sessions, and experiences designed to make us stronger individually and as organizations by promoting mindfulness, stress reduction, better internal and external communications, and methods to manage uncertainty. The arts community is invited to come together to unify and strengthen our creative collective, because the stronger we are, the greater our impact!
“We are delighted to announce the opening of registration for the 2023 Delaware Arts Summit in Dewey Beach,” said Kristin Pleasanton, Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “This summit promises to be a celebration and acknowledgement of the importance of the arts in Delaware and all who play a role in their creation and presentation. We encourage everyone to secure their spot and join us for this exceptional event.”
“Professional development opportunities play a crucial role in advancing Delaware’s creative sector, nurturing talent, and fostering a vibrant and sustainable arts community,” says Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Such opportunities provide artists, creators, and arts professionals with access to specialized training, knowledge, and information. Workshops offered by nationally recognized speakers provide valuable learning experiences that empower individuals to assess, refine, and grow. This, in turn, enhances innovation and cultivates a culture of continuous improvement within the creative sector.”
Key highlights of the 2023 Delaware Arts Summit include:
Details of the event are:
Location: Hyatt Place Dewey Beach: Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, 1301 Coastal Hwy, Dewey Beach, DE 19971
Dates: Monday, October 9, 2023, with an optional pre-conference on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
Registration Fees: $55 for the conference, $20 add on for the pre-conference.
For media inquiries, partnership opportunities, or further information, please contact Andrew Truscott at Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov.
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About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.
Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov
Related Topics: “Delaware Division of the Arts”, 2023 Delaware Arts Summit, delaware arts summit, Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, Our Creative Collective, Registration Open
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
STATEWIDE, Del. (August 21, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts has announced that registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2023 Delaware Arts Summit, a momentous gathering of Delaware’s arts community including arts professionals, artists, creative minds, and art enthusiasts. This exciting event will take place on October 8 and 9 at the Hyatt Place in Dewey Beach, Delaware, and promises to be inspirational and enlightening. To register and explore the detailed schedule of events, please visit the official Delaware Arts Summit website at Arts.Delaware.Gov/Summit.
Reflection, Renewal, and Rejuvenation are goals for this year’s Arts Summit as we move beyond the challenges of the past several years. The Summit will provide time, sessions, and experiences designed to make us stronger individually and as organizations by promoting mindfulness, stress reduction, better internal and external communications, and methods to manage uncertainty. The arts community is invited to come together to unify and strengthen our creative collective, because the stronger we are, the greater our impact!
“We are delighted to announce the opening of registration for the 2023 Delaware Arts Summit in Dewey Beach,” said Kristin Pleasanton, Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “This summit promises to be a celebration and acknowledgement of the importance of the arts in Delaware and all who play a role in their creation and presentation. We encourage everyone to secure their spot and join us for this exceptional event.”
“Professional development opportunities play a crucial role in advancing Delaware’s creative sector, nurturing talent, and fostering a vibrant and sustainable arts community,” says Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Such opportunities provide artists, creators, and arts professionals with access to specialized training, knowledge, and information. Workshops offered by nationally recognized speakers provide valuable learning experiences that empower individuals to assess, refine, and grow. This, in turn, enhances innovation and cultivates a culture of continuous improvement within the creative sector.”
Key highlights of the 2023 Delaware Arts Summit include:
Details of the event are:
Location: Hyatt Place Dewey Beach: Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, 1301 Coastal Hwy, Dewey Beach, DE 19971
Dates: Monday, October 9, 2023, with an optional pre-conference on Sunday, October 8, 2023.
Registration Fees: $55 for the conference, $20 add on for the pre-conference.
For media inquiries, partnership opportunities, or further information, please contact Andrew Truscott at Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov.
##
About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.
Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov
Related Topics: “Delaware Division of the Arts”, 2023 Delaware Arts Summit, delaware arts summit, Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, Our Creative Collective, Registration Open
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
Image courtesy of ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow (University College London), N. Cox (ACRI-ST), R. Wesson (Cardiff University)
More than a year after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope brought us images of the Southern Ring Nebula, the world’s most powerful observer captured the remains of another celestial body with stunning clarity.
Nebulae are massive clouds of dust and gas that sometimes emerge from dying stars. Both the Southern Ring Nebula and the Ring Nebula, which is the subject of the newly released images, were born from a star discarding its outer layers as its fuel reserves dwindle. Located about 2,000 light-years away, the latter is bright and often discernible from Earth with the use of simple binoculars.
Documented with the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera, the Ring Nebula is now visible in unprecedented detail. The bright red outer ring is comprised of approximately 20,000 enormous globules of molecular hydrogen gas about the size of Earth. Inside, astronomers explain, “is a narrow band of emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs–complex carbon-bearing molecules that we would not expect to form in the Ring Nebula. Outside the bright ring, we see curious ‘spikes’ pointing directly away from the central star.” These prongs were barely visible in earlier images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and were largely only seen through infrared.
The most intriguing discovery, though, is the ten evenly spaced features nestled inside the halo surrounding the bright outer ring. Astronomers explain:
These arcs must have formed about every 280 years as the central star was shedding its outer layers. When a single star evolves into a planetary nebula, there is no process that we know of that has that kind of time period. Instead, these rings suggest that there must be a companion star in the system, orbiting about as far away from the central star as Pluto does from our Sun. As the dying star was throwing off its atmosphere, the companion star shaped the outflow and sculpted it. No previous telescope had the sensitivity and the spatial resolution to uncover this subtle effect.
According to a statement, research into the Ring Nebula is ongoing, so expect more information in the coming months. Until then, head to NASA to see the images up close.
Image courtesy of ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow (University College London), N. Cox (ACRI-ST), R. Wesson (Cardiff University)
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article NASA’s James Webb Telescope Captures the Fiery Remains of a Dying Star in Unprecedented Detail appeared first on Colossal.
By Mythili Gubbi
Click here for updates on this story
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSTU) — One bookstore in Salt Lake City is showcasing unique art through a pop up market, to help promote queer inclusivity.
“It creates a safe space for a lot of us, where we can express ourselves and express our own identities,” explained Erica Jursic, who owns ‘I am an Ocelot.’ She is an artist and illustrator, and one of about a dozen artists who brought their creations to ‘Under the Umbrella’ on Saturday. “I create all of the artwork that you see at my booth, which include originals, prints, stickers, upcycled goods.”
They use art to showcase what they believe in. “It allows me to kind of highlight some of the issues, like the motifs in my work, including like ocean conservation, bipoc solidarity, queer identity, my own Taiwanese tropical islander identity as well.”
Under the Umbrella is a book store where everything in the store in queer in some way. “It’s just a big old gay time in here,” said Kaitlyn Mahoney, owner, of Under the Umbrella. The point was to create a safe space for anyone who identifies under the LGBTQ umbrella, so that’s where under the umbrella came from.”
The bookstore hosts a queer pop up art market the third Saturday of every month. The booths ranged from art, taro reading, candies, shirts, prints, scrunchies, stickers and more. “Owning a small business is really hard, and owning a physical space, it is out of reach for a lot of people, so I wanted to share. I have the space, you’ve got the patio out back, let’s spread the joy and bring more queer people together,” said Mahoney.
It’s Brooklyn Troutman’s first time selling at a market like this. “I’m meeting lots of really fantastic local artists by doing this, I’m meeting lots of awesome Utah locals, which I really appreciate, so we’ll see where this goes.”
Hoping to continue to celebrate spaces like these. “We don’t have many spaces in general that are like dedicated queer spaces that are good for everybody who comes in.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
By Mythili Gubbi
Click here for updates on this story
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSTU) — One bookstore in Salt Lake City is showcasing unique art through a pop up market, to help promote queer inclusivity.
“It creates a safe space for a lot of us, where we can express ourselves and express our own identities,” explained Erica Jursic, who owns ‘I am an Ocelot.’ She is an artist and illustrator, and one of about a dozen artists who brought their creations to ‘Under the Umbrella’ on Saturday. “I create all of the artwork that you see at my booth, which include originals, prints, stickers, upcycled goods.”
They use art to showcase what they believe in. “It allows me to kind of highlight some of the issues, like the motifs in my work, including like ocean conservation, bipoc solidarity, queer identity, my own Taiwanese tropical islander identity as well.”
Under the Umbrella is a book store where everything in the store in queer in some way. “It’s just a big old gay time in here,” said Kaitlyn Mahoney, owner, of Under the Umbrella. The point was to create a safe space for anyone who identifies under the LGBTQ umbrella, so that’s where under the umbrella came from.”
The bookstore hosts a queer pop up art market the third Saturday of every month. The booths ranged from art, taro reading, candies, shirts, prints, scrunchies, stickers and more. “Owning a small business is really hard, and owning a physical space, it is out of reach for a lot of people, so I wanted to share. I have the space, you’ve got the patio out back, let’s spread the joy and bring more queer people together,” said Mahoney.
It’s Brooklyn Troutman’s first time selling at a market like this. “I’m meeting lots of really fantastic local artists by doing this, I’m meeting lots of awesome Utah locals, which I really appreciate, so we’ll see where this goes.”
Hoping to continue to celebrate spaces like these. “We don’t have many spaces in general that are like dedicated queer spaces that are good for everybody who comes in.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
All images © Cat Rabbit, shared with permission
Sporting tiny sneakers and plates of eggs on toast, Cat Rabbit’s newest adorable characters (previously) get ready for the day in style. A frog dons loafers and a stylish briefcase, a self-assured bear presents a plate of breakfast, and a bespectacled Bichon Frisé tucks a bag of chips into a tiny tote. The Melbourne-based artist sends her animals out on everyday activities, like rollerskating or commuting to work, imbuing each figure with an expressive face and confident personality.
The artist currently has a solo exhibition titled Working Through It at Nucleus Portland through August 27, and her children’s book How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide, published by Berbay Books, was just released in the U.S. You can find a copy on Bookshop, and explore more work on Cat Rabbit’s website and Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Remarkably Relatable Animals Prepare Breakfast and Commute to Work in a New Series by Cat Rabbit appeared first on Colossal.
