OK BOOMER

In a viral audio clip on TikTok, a white-haired man in a baseball cap and polo shirt declares, "The millennials and Generation Z have the Peter Pan syndrome; they don't ever want to grow up." Thousands of teens responded with a simple phrase: "OK boomer." The reality is that Generations are age groups with a common zeitgeist. There is a natural tension between these age groups, and that chasm seems to be widening (like everything else). To be sure, these generations value several things differently, including the environment, social justice, and real estate, to name a few.

One of the most significant divides seems to be asset ownership. I am oversimplifying to make the point ... In music, for example, older generations favor the physical (CD, records, dare I say 8-tracks), whereas younger generations favor digital (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). In cars, older generations love owning their vehicles, whereas younger generations love renting (Toura, ZipCar, etc.). The reality is that the truth is in the middle, like everything else, and we all can agree that we can get by with less as long as there is better resource utilization. Leaning into this reality would solve many intergenerational problems that include over manufacturing, and the associated waste, all of which have an unnecessary and negative impact on the environment.

This week's Loupe intends to narrow the generational divide as I reveal a company I am intimately involved with (as the founder) that is looking to better utilize assets for everyone's benefit!

UpMyArt (UMA)
Services

Have you ever wanted to live with a Cindy Sherman, but didn't have the resources or access? Well now you can! UpMyArt is a peer-to-peer marketplace for fine art rental, the first of its kind. The goal of this platform is to make art more available and impactful through sharing. It seems many (most?) collectors have more art than they can display and appreciate; yet, they don't want to sell it. There are many important pieces that have been purchased at auction or in galleries and are never to be seen by the Owner, let alone the public at large. There is also a significant amount of fine art owned by artists and institutions who could use a living wage or supplemental income provided by renting out the art. Likewise, many people appreciate fine art, but either doesn't have access to it or don't want to own it for some reason. UMA hopes to be a platform that makes it easy for Lenders and Borrowers to come together and better utilize the asset.

Please note that we just made this available to the public and you are a Beta user. Please sign up and tell me what you think!

Let's bring art owners and borrowers together to utilize things more sustainably and consider UpMyArt Found(ed)!