Eyebeam

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

Eyebeam provides professional support and funding to artists who work with technology to realize innovative, socially relevant art projects.

Target Customer

Artists and technologists; journalist teams and media collaborators; educators; youth participants; and the broader public interested in digital futures.

Key Differentiator

Hybrid residency/fellowship model focused on public good and democracy, with a nonprofit structure and explicit statements like 'Nobody else is doing this.'

Implementation Timeline

Long-running and multi-year programs (Digital Day Camp established in 1998; ongoing Residency/Fellowship model). Rapid Response initiated during the pandemic (early 2020s). The Democracy Machine operates with cohorts (e.g., ’24 cohort). The Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism launched as an ongoing grant-making program.

Pain Points

1Insufficient funding and structured support for ambitious tech-enabled art projects.
2Need for cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists, technologists, and journalists to address complex digital topics.
3Limited opportunities and pathways for youth and diverse audiences to engage with art and technology, and to access digital education.

Key Features

1Hybrid residency and fellowship programs that support artists anywhere in the world with freedom to explore and create.
2The Democracy Machine fellowship, a radical experiment to unlock artist-led invention in self-governance, technology, and democracy.
3Rapid Response initiative to lift artists’ voices during crises (fast-moving, pandemic-era program).
4Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism, a grant-making program supporting artist–journalist teams producing innovative journalistic work.
5Digital Day Camp, a long-running youth arts and technology program for NYC high school students (established 1998).
6VH Award collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group (Asia) as a leading award for new media artists in Asia.
7open.eyebeam, a digital gathering space for artists, technologists, and the public to imagine a better digital world.

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Interim Executive Director
2Chair
3Vice-Chair

Client Results

1Artists receive significant professional support and funding to realize ideas that might not exist otherwise.
2Completion and presentation of art projects and journalistic work resulting from Eyebeam-supported initiatives.
3Increased accessibility and engagement with digital technologies for broader audiences (digital accessibility initiatives and education).
4Development of youth skills and critical relationships with technology through Digital Day Camp.

Competitive Advantages

1Unique, mission-driven focus on artist-led, technology-enabled work for the public good.
2Explicitly iterative and hybrid model combining residencies, fellowships, and project-based initiatives.
3Bold, peer-validated positioning with statements like 'Nobody else is doing this.'
4Strong cross-domain collaborations (art, technology, journalism, education).
5Established programs with a track record for supporting impactful work and communities.

Key Benefits

1Significant professional support and funding for artists working with technology.

2Hybrid, global residency/fellowship opportunities with risk-taking, experimentation.

3Access to cross-disciplinary collaborations (art, tech, journalism, education).

4Public-facing programs and spaces (open.eyebeam) that broaden participation in digital culture.

5Long-running educational initiatives that empower youth with technology.

6Awards and partnerships (e.g., VH Award) that recognize and catalyze new media artistry.

Case Studies & Success Stories

The Democracy Machine

Case #1

A flagship Eyebeam fellowship to unlock artist-led invention in self-governance, technology, and democracy; includes cohorts such as Begoo Collective and Mashinka Firunts Hakopian, illustrating Eyebeam’s commitment to radical, collaborative experimentation.

Digital Day Camp

Case #2

Eyebeam’s longest-running program (established 1998), a multi-week youth arts and technology program for NYC public high school students, aiming to develop critical, empowering relationships with technology and expose underrepresented youth to STEAM fields.

Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism

Case #3

An experimental grant-making program that supports artists and artist–journalist teams producing innovative and revelatory journalistic work for major media outlets.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

Non-profit organization that funds and supports artists who work with technology to create innovative, socially engaged art and journalism.

Target Market

Artists, technologists, journalists, educators, youth, and public audiences interested in the intersection of art, technology, and society.

Unique Value Proposition

A nonprofit model that combines substantial professional support, funding, and a community-driven, artist-led framework to realize ambitious tech-enabled art and journalism projects for the public good—an approach described as unique and not commonly offered by others.

Technical Requirements

Not publicly specified in the provided content.

Pricing Model

Not publicly disclosed; Eyebeam notes it is generously supported by supporters/funders.

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