The Fearless Artist Story
A lawyer and event producer by training, TFA Founder and CEO Kiki Somerville always had a passion for supporting artists. In observing galleries and art events in the U.S. and across the world, Kiki quickly discovered that today's artists were lacking business acumen. Artists didn’t have the knowledge they needed to get their work seen, shared, and sold. Kiki realized she could push back against art world gatekeepers by teaching artists how to connect and tell their stories.
With this renewed purpose, The Fearless Artist was born. By fostering a community of knowledge and skill-building, Kiki has forged connections and built opportunities for diverse, mission-driven artists.
Since its inception, TFA has expanded to produce widely acclaimed popup galleries during Art Basel Miami, created educational programs for young artists, and started private coaching sessions on the art business with clients. In early 2022, The Fearless Artist received a venture capital investment from Brown Venture Group, and Olay Body was the title sponsor for TFA’s first TFAPOPUP in New York (June 2022). Olay Body also committed $100,000 in scholarship funding to The Fearless Artist Young Curators Program.
OUR PARTNERS
Kiki Somerville
CEO & Founder
An entertainment industry veteran, speaker, lawyer, and author with 20 years of media experience, Kiki Somerville is the founder and CEO of The Fearless Artist and the Executive Producer of TFAPOPUP, one of the most popular popup galleries in the country.
Kiki Somerville is a graduate of The College of William and Mary with a degree in Sociology, and she earned her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. After working in the business and legal affairs departments of major companies such as MTV Networks, Sony BMG, and Austin Nichols, Kiki Somerville took a sabbatical to Paris to live, write her first book, and travel. She spent time visiting the great museums and galleries of the world to cultivate her love and knowledge of art.
In 2009, Kiki produced her first art exhibition, “Spirits of Haiti” with renowned artist Jude Thegenius (a.k.a. Jude Papaloko). In 2011, she created Fearless Artist Media/The Fearless Artist and began providing business services to major artists, writers, and media personalities — like Kerry Lutz, Danny Simmons, David Sena, and Kenji Jasper. In 2014, Fearless Artist Media produced the first TFAPOPUP (The Fearless Artist Pop Up Gallery) to serve emerging and undiscovered contemporary artists who wanted access to exhibit at Art Basel Miami during Miami Art Week. Art Basel Miami is the biggest art fair in America and brings over 200,000 people annually to Florida to see hundreds of exhibitions and art fairs. Since its debut in 2014, TFAPOPUP has consistently grown in size and popularity, featuring over 300 artists and attracting between 500-2000 visitors daily.
In 2021, Kiki launched The Fearless Artist Young Curators Program, which teaches artists and creatives the business side of the art world and how to produce a successful event. The international cohorts of students showed their work as part of the 7th annual TFAPOPUP event in Miami in December 2021 and the first TFAPOPUP event in New York City in June 2022.
TEAM
