A boutique hotel lobby with a large layered abstract mural in ochre, orange, blue and plum

Managed creative marketplace for design-led spaces · Piloting in North Carolina

The right creative team. One accountable partner.

Hiring creatives shouldn't feel like a gamble. Tell us what your space needs. We match you with vetted artists, designers and performers, then run the scope, agreements, approvals and install with you.

Get started I'm a creative

One project lead, one approved scope, one budget and one place to approve the work.

Every creative vetted by video callInsurance coordinated on every projectPayments tied to approvals you sign off

Two ways in

Which one are you?

A brick building in a new plaza with a bold geometric mural and people at a cafe
For businesses and cities

I have a space to bring to life.

Boutique hotels, residential developments, restaurants, clubs and destination spaces. Commissions, public art, live activations and environmental design.

See what we do for spaces
A muralist on a scissor lift painting a colorful abstract mural on a brick wall
For creatives

I make work for spaces and events.

Fine artists, muralists, makers, designers, cinematographers, musicians and performing artists. Free to join. See your full pay before you say yes.

See how it works for you

Why SOV exists

The money is there. It just doesn't reach the people making the work, or show up where you can see it.

For businesses and cities
1All-in project price, broken out line by line before you sign. Our fee sits inside your budget, never on top.
52%Of projects grow past their original scope. Ours start defined, and every change needs your written approval.
For creatives
$0What creatives pay to join, apply or be booked. No pay-to-pitch, ever.
100%Of a creative's pay and payment schedule shown before they accept. No surprise deductions.

Source for 52%: Project Management Institute, Pulse of the Profession (2018), projects completed in the prior 12 months that experienced scope creep.

Who we serve

Built for places people experience, not just occupy.

Boutique hotels, residential developments and destination spaces: places where the room is part of what people buy, remember and come back to.

See everyone we serve
A boutique hotel lobby with a large layered abstract mural
Boutique HotelsYour path
A brick building in a new plaza with a bold geometric mural
Residential & Mixed-UseYour path
A jazz vocalist performing at a rooftop event
Restaurants, Clubs & DestinationsYour path

We also work with healthcare, cities and arts councils and workplaces and brand events.

Piloting in North Carolina. Built to work in any city or country, and creatives can apply from anywhere.

Every discipline that shapes a space

Not just paintings on a wall.

Designers make up the largest share of the creative workforce, and performing artists are next. From a fine art commission to environmental graphics to a live activation, SOV books the full range.

Apply as a creative
A muralist painting a large wall from a liftMurals and public art
A ceramicist glazing wall tiles in a sunlit studioCraft and material arts
A jazz vocalist at a rooftop eventLive music and sound
A cinematographer filming in a restaurantCinematography
A dancer leaping in a bright atriumPerforming arts
A designer reviewing color swatches and material samplesEnvironmental design

How it works

Five steps. One owner for each.

See both sides in detail
i.

Brief

A few questions about your space, your people and your budget.

SOV turns it into a clear brief.
ii.

Match

See 3 to 5 vetted creatives and why each one fits.

Creatives are invited, never pitching for free.
iii.

Agree

One scope with every cost on its own line. Insurance and permits coordinated.

SOV handles contracts and rights.
iv.

Make

Each milestone is submitted, reviewed and approved before it's paid.

Materials are budgeted apart from creative pay.
v.

Celebrate

Install, launch photos and a short report your board will read.

Everyone gets proof of what changed.
Two installers hanging a large abstract painting while a project manager watches

What SOV carries

We hold the risk neither side can see.

Procurement needs clear costs, insurance and paperwork. Creatives need fair pay and protection. Most deals fall apart in the gap. That gap is our job.

  • Vetted once, by people who do the work. A video call, references and a delivery record.
  • Vendor setup done for you. Insurance certificate, W-9 and contract ready before anyone climbs a lift.
  • Labor and materials budgeted apart. A price change in paint or wood never eats the creative's pay.
  • Payments tied to documented approvals. Submission, approval and payment are separate steps, so nothing gets paid by accident or held up by a lost email.
  • Codes, permits and historic review planned in. We flag what applies early and build it into the schedule and budget.
  • Rights in writing. Buying a work never quietly hands over the copyright.

Pricing

One price. Every line visible.

Every project is priced on its scope and complexity, not a flat percentage. You see one total investment, then exactly what it covers, before you sign. Creatives never pay to be booked.

At the top of every proposal

Total project investment

  • Approved scope and key deliverables
  • Production timeline and review rounds
  • Who installs, and when
  • Payment schedule
  • Rights included
Then, line by line
Creative servicesThe artist, designer, performer or creative team's pay
ProductionMaterials, fabrication, equipment and specialist labor
LogisticsPacking, freight, travel, install and removal
Project requirementsInsurance, permits, engineering, historic or code review
Project deliverySOV curation, project management, documentation and coordination
See the ways to work with usGet started
A hotel owner, an interior designer and an artist reviewing sketches together

Why we're called SOV

SOV is short for sovereignty.

Good work gets made when everyone at the table keeps control of what's theirs. SOV holds the deal in between, so nobody has to give that up to get the work made.

Get startedI'm a creative
Businesses keepA clear scope, a visible budget and the final say on every milestone.
Creatives keepTheir full pay, their rights and their name on the work.
SOV carriesThe agreements, insurance, approvals and payments in between.

Talk with us

Rather talk it through first?

Not ready for a brief? Start with a conversation. A person on our team writes back, and there is no obligation.

Book an intro callTwenty minutes on your space, your goals and your timing.Pick a time Send us a messageA question, a partnership idea, or a project that does not fit a form.Write to us Email the founderfounder@sovcreativebrokerage.comSend an email