South Dakota Couple Forms Company to Help Struggling Artists Story-Date: 01:59 p.m. PST Sunday , November 8, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------ South Dakota Couple Forms Company to Help Struggling Artists By David Melmer, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Nov. 6--ST. PAUL, Minn.--Having trouble coming up with the money to get prints of your artwork made or you don't know what to do? You are not alone, but two artists say they have a solution to the problem. Daryl No Heart, a Lakota/Dakota artist, and his wife, Sharon, a Lakota graphic artist, both from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota,came up with an idea to help struggling -- and successful -- artists reprint and market their work. Artists often are exploited by retailers and print makers who make more money on the art piece than the artist. Too often an artist can't have prints made of an original work because of prohibitive costs, according to the No Hearts. Daryl No Heart has been creating art for many years and knows the problems all artists face. Some time ago he had to "hock" some land, as he says, to come up with $11,000 to get limited-edition prints made from three of his original works. Not many artists can do that, so the No Hearts put their talents and business know-how together and formed a company that will solve those problems. In May of 1998, the two formed Ancestors Inc., a small business that will help artists get their work into the market in many different ways -- from producing prints for framing to post cards, even coffee mugs, the No Hearts said. "There were many artists selling original paintings to survive. Making prints is a big business and we formed Ancestors Inc. to help me and other artists. "We see other people making money selling our paintings," Daryl No Heart said. Many artists are at the mercy of others for advice about getting prints made and distributed for sale, and sometimes that advice is not the best. Daryl No Heart said he suffered from bad advice when one of his prints, after being framed, was too large for anyone's home, making it very difficult to sell. "We are seeking artists who want to be involved with our vision to inform the world who we are as unique spiritual people," the Ancestors Inc. flyer says, adding, "We will offer royalties that will enable you to put meat in your bean soup!" The No Hearts say they can offer the benefit of their knowledge on marketing and print making. Larger print houses may be adding so much of its profit to the final product that few people can afford the art work, which is of no benefit to the artist, they said. "Tell us what you like. We can offer canvas print, archival or we can print on textiles or a mouse pad. We can print on homemade paper and get it framed," the two said. "We want to make art affordable." Ancestors Inc. makes it a policy to create limited-edition prints from original paintings for artists who lack the large investment needed to print 500 copies at one time. The No Hearts said if an artist can only afford the setup cost and wants to print only 20 copies, that is possible. The firm will keep track of the print numbers, no matter how small a print run may be. The No Hearts offer artists a chance to market their work at a reasonable price. They can provide contact information for many galleries that will assist an artist in placing prints. The No Hearts do not job out the printing, they have the equipment to produce the product in-house and the "quality is incredible," Sharon No Heart said. She added that said museums use the same equipment to reproduce photos in their collections to preserve original works. Should an artist want to take an image from an original painting, have prints made, have calendars made, put the image on T-shirts or coffee mugs or post cards, the No Hearts said Ancestors Inc. can do the job. Daryl No Heart also creates logos for businesses and can print business cards. They can take a project from an idea and bring it to a finished product. Ancestors Inc. can produce brochures, flyers, business cards and other printed materials for tribal entities as well. He said they have been doing work for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal government. Sharon No Heart adds to the creative side of the company with her experience and knowledge, transferring the artwork to digital quality on computers. "We have a world class product." Getting a fair price for a print, while allowing the artist to benefit economically, is one of the objectives of Ancestors Inc. Daryl No Heart said his costs can be held down because he buys materials directly from the wholesaler and doesn't have to pay a cadre of middle men in the process. "I saw one of my prints, framed in a gallery, that had a sale price of $595. I got only $65," Daryl No Heart said. "We give the stuff away for very little." He would like to help any artist make a profit on art, yet make it affordable to the consumer. Many artists, including Daryl No Heart create art that is aesthetic, yet carries a message that can survive into the future. If the art work is too expensive for some people who can benefit from the message, it will go to waste on the wall of a gallery. "Some young, gang types out of Rapid City said they saw one of my paintings and it made them feel proud. They couldn't afford it. So why not put it on a T-shirt if it makes them proud and they can wear it," Daryl No Heart said. His art carries a definitive message appropriate for the present and future generations of Lakota and non-Indian alike. "I want to send the message to all mankind that Lakotas have a future," he said. ------------------------------------------------------------