How it works
Two sides, one deal both can trust.
Hiring a creative shouldn't feel like a gamble. Getting hired shouldn't be unpaid work. Here's what organizations and creatives each do, what SOV takes off both plates, and the three ways to start. Not sure where you fit? Start with a call.
Businesses, cities and arts councils
The organization
- Talk with us, if you likeAn optional 20-minute intro call about your space, goals and timing. No obligation.
- Send a briefA few questions about your space, your people and your budget. About 4 minutes. Pick how you want to work with us.
- Meet your matches3 to 5 vetted creatives and why each fits, walked through on a call with your project lead. Public programs: your panel decides.
- Sign one scopeEvery cost on its own line. Agreements, insurance and permits coordinated.
- Approve each milestoneEach milestone is submitted, reviewed and approved before it's paid.
- Show what changedLaunch photos and a short report for your board or owners.
These are the steps of a curated match, our full-service tier. Self-serve and program tiers change some steps. Compare the tiers.
If you make the work
The creative
- Apply onceAbout 3 minutes. Three samples, photos or links.
- Video callA conversation with a working creative from our team.
- Get invited, or answer a callInvitations come to you, and open calls from organizations are posted to the network. See the budget, your fee and the rights first.
- Paid concept, then materialsPaid for your concept. Materials money before you start.
- Get paid, get seenPaid on the schedule you agreed to. Approved work goes on your profile.
Questions before you apply? Book a call or send us a message.
Three ways to work
Pick a tier. We carry the rest.
Here is what you do and what SOV does in each tier, so you know exactly what you are signing up for.
Post an opportunity
You choose. SOV gives you the platform.
Curated match
SOV finds the creative and runs it with you.
Creative program
Several spaces or year-round, one partner.
Every tier: vetted creatives, line-by-line pricing, and creatives never pay to take part. Software plans start with a free 30-day trial. Not sure which fits? Book a 20-minute call.
What SOV handles for both
The work neither of you should have to do.
Your goals turned into something a creative can respond to.
A person checks every match before you see it. Contact details are shared only when both sides say yes.
Certificate of insurance, W-9 and vendor setup done once.
Tied to documented approvals, so both sides always know what's been approved and what's been paid.
Crews, lifts, condition reports and closeout.
Historic review, permits, ADA and code checks flagged early and built into the schedule.
After the match
One project room. Everyone on the same page.
Once a creative is chosen, the business, the creative and SOV work from one shared record. Each person sees the next thing they need to do, and nothing important gets lost in an email thread.
What needs me?
Approvals, signatures and submissions waiting on you, at the top of every screen.
What happens next?
Milestones with a clear owner, due date and what "approved" means for each one.
Where's the money?
The approved budget, any change orders and what has been paid, line by line.
Who can help?
A named SOV project lead, not a ticket queue. Ask from any project, and they'll already have the context.
Approvals in a shared language
Your team says what it noticed, not just "I don't love it."
Feedback comes back in five plain words, so the creative hears something they can use and your team feels heard.
Every finished work
A record that outlasts the install.
Every project closes with a record your team can use for years: who made it, what was approved, what you own and how to care for it.
What was asked for, what was agreed and who signed off, in one place.
What you own, what the creative keeps, and every license for photos, press or reproduction.
Medium, dimensions, fabricator and installer, so repairs and refreshes are easy.
Cleaning and care notes your operations team can actually follow.
Documentation you can use in marketing, with credit handled.
The work's story and its maker, kept with the work if it moves, rotates or sells.
Questions organizations ask
How much should we budget?
Every project is priced on its scope and complexity, and you see the total and every line before you sign. If you have an idea but no brief, a project definition is a fixed fee you can credit toward the project. As a benchmark, many developers set aside about 0.5 to 1 percent of construction cost for art. Tell us your range and we'll show you what it can do.
How long does it take?
A shortlist usually comes within two weeks of a full brief. Make and install depend on the work, and we plan around your opening or renovation date.
What if we don't like the concept?
You give feedback in plain words, and the creative revises. If it still isn't right, you can stop after the paid concept round.
Do we have to sign a long contract?
No. Start with one space. Grow only if it works.
We're a city or public agency. Can SOV run our call for artists?
Yes. We can write the call, share it with our network, collect applications, support your selection panel and handle contracts, while following your procurement rules. If you can hire directly, the regular brief works too.
Do you work outside North Carolina?
We're piloting projects in North Carolina first. The platform is built for any city or country, so tell us where you are and we'll let you know what's possible today.
Our building is historic, or we need permits. Is that a problem?
No, it's part of the job. Tell us in the brief what you know, and we'll check historic district rules, preservation or landmark review, building and fire code, accessibility and local permits before anything is signed, then build the review time into the schedule.
What if something goes wrong?
Every project has a named SOV project lead. Scope changes go through a written change request, so nothing is added or dropped quietly, and the project lead steps in on schedule, quality or payment questions.
Who owns the work?
You own the physical work you buy. The creative keeps the copyright, and any uses you need, like photos for marketing, are written into the deal.
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.