A surprise artist + brand collaboration
Since embarking on my journey to become a professional artist, I’ve entertained fantasies of “really cool opportunities” just falling into my lap out of the blue, and, a handful of times, my daydreaming has manifested projects I could never have imagined.
Honestly – and this is a poor business plan, so I don’t advise following in my shoes – the most unique opportunities that have appeared in my career have been completely unforeseen.
One such circumstance was my artist/brand collaboration with the luxury ride share company, Alto.
Alto is an up-scale ride-share company with operations in larger cities all over the US, and they’re busy launching new cities year round. Miami received their first taste of Alto during Miami Art Week 2021.
Alto’s “Featured Miami Artist”
Alto + The Arts is the company’s initiative to support the arts and local artists in their cities of operation. In three major cities, Alto has featured the work of a local artists on their luxury SUVs.
Shortly before their launch during Art Basil Miami 2021, Alto invited me to be the local featured artist for their Miami Alto + The Arts Car and have my work featured on one of their elevated ride-share vehicles.
On my end of the collaboration the process was quite simple. I worked with them to choose a bold and colorful abstract painting that captured energetic Miami vibes and they sent it off to their specialists to have the artwork converted into a vehicle wrap. They sent me mock-ups for approval, and once we were all on board, the techs got busy on creating a new kind of street art. (See what I did there?)
Which Miami destinations keep me creatively inspired?
During launch month, the folks at Alto asked me to share with their Instagram community a tour of some Miami destinations I find inspiring.
If you know me at all you know I love books and coffee. If you know me a little more, you know I love the beach and sweets. Here are five local Miami destinations that fill my inspiration tank every time (and only one is a tourist hot spot!):
Another perk of partnering with a high-end brand? Giveaways!
Alto and I also partnered up for a giveaway. Once lucky winner received an Alto ride credit and a large limited edition print of “Blue Lady” – the artwork featured on the car. To this day it’s one of my favorites. The original hangs in the home of a private collector in Seattle, but there are still limited edition prints (you can choose paper or canvas) available in the shop.
Alto has become my favorite ride-hail service.
From Wynwood to the Design District, to Brickell, South Beach, Key Biscayne, Coconut Grove, Doral, and South Miami, the Alto art car has been spotted coasting through the county.
It certainly is my favorite alternative to Uber and Lyft. Alto’s drivers are salaried employees, so they’re not rushing around racing to get another customer. They take their time, and they’re friendly, and between each stop every driver wipes the car down to keep things fresh and clean. Each driver even carries a card that collects safe driving data that is reviewed at the end of the week. You can choose the musical “vibe” in the car, charge your device, sip some free bottled water, adjust the air, and relax in Alto’s signature spa-like scent. They strive for luxury, and the ride feels like it. If you’ve got a chance to try it out, I say go for it! As a benefit of our partnership, use the code SARA20 to get $20 off your first ride.
Now I’m just going to settle in and eagerly await the next super cool project that’s about to drop into my lap!
