Meet CJacks Arts | An Online Global Community of Artists

We had the good fortune of connecting with CJacks Arts (CJacksarts.com) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CJacks Arts, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
CJacks Arts (CJacksarts.com) is a free membership global directory and a networking platform for emerging and professional artists from every art form. The name CJacks is derived from the term “cracker jacks,” which means people of noticeable excellence. We are a global community of artists. The idea of CJacks Arts (CJacksarts.com) was conceived after talking to hundreds of artists from the United States and around the globe about their needs and challenges. Even though the arts contribute $763.6 billion to the U.S. economy, more than agriculture, transportation, or warehousing, and employs 4.9 million workers across the country, the income and living standards of most of the individual artists remain poor. We concluded that artists and arts service providers are seeking an all-inclusive platform to serve their needs. CJacks Arts takes the “one platform one voice” approach, where artists can raise consciousness for arts on a global level by coming together in conversation.

What should our readers know about your business?
Artists need to be found. CJacks Arts organizes it’s member’s data to create a comprehensive online arts directory, where the artists can be found by their name, location, and the art form that they practice. We also provide the opportunity to the artists to build their intensive artist’s portfolio and make available the resources for them to build and grow their careers. Many artists, especially emergent artists don’t have the opportunity or resources to create their website. Artists can create their “Artist’s Portfolio” for free on CJacks Arts, where they can include their extensive bio, create a slide show and picture portfolio of their work, showcase their services, skills, videos, and their featured project. On CJacks Arts website artists can create a community and network by connecting with other members, sharing their work with others, and by creating groups with other like-minded artists, where they can engage in meaningful conversations. It was unfortunate that we started CJacks Arts in January, 2020 and right after we faced the COVID-19 crisis. Closings of art venues, studios, auditoriums, museums, educational organizations, etc. due to the current pandemic has a devastating impact on artists. Artists are facing uncertainties both in the areas of their health and their career. Arts budgets are often first to be cut, resulting in canceled income. Artists already have lost their jobs and aren’t able to pay their bills. We evaluated the situation and decided to change our business strategy a little to accommodate the needs of artists. This year, we have promoted many members by creating ads for them and marketing their talents. This year we also organized the virtual concerts presented by our members, which received thousands of views from all over the world. Our recent Indian dance workshop attracted participants from 11 different countries. We have many upcoming art programs and concerts this year, which we are very excited about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
CJacks Arts is located in Hartford, which is the capital city of the state of Connecticut. It’s the home for Wadsworth Atheneum, the country’s oldest public art museum, and the Bushnell Park, the oldest publicly funded park. We also love the Mark Twain house. The Charter Oak Cultural Center, Bushnell Center for the performing arts, and Real Art Ways are some of the theaters that we visit often to attend an arts event. During the summer the rose blooms at Elizabeth Park are breathtakingly beautiful. Hartford is also known for many wineries and breweries and great restaurants. Muse Paintbar is an awesome restaurant where painting instructions are combined with the delicious food that they serve.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
CJacks Arts is created for the artists by the professional artists, who understand the challenges artists face. We, (Rachna Ramya and Shahzad Anjum) are business partners in CJacks Arts. We talk a lot about our gratitude list and how grateful we are to be doing what we love to do. As the practitioners of classical Indian music and dance, we both were very lucky to find very knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated gurus who not only taught us the technicalities of arts, but they also taught us how to fall in love with arts. Both Shahzad’s and my families have been very understanding and encouraging. They always have supported us in all our endeavors. And we are extremely grateful to all the artists who are on CJacks Arts. They are very talented and inspiring. They motivate us to be true to our goals and visions. We say at CJacks Arts “ we are a home for all those courageous alchemists, who transform the world through art”. We truly are grateful to have these courageous alchemists in our lives.

Website: CJacksarts.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjacksarts/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjacksartsofficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2VhrS8XhXVynMeusYks8w

Image Credits
Rachna Ramya (CJacks Arts Administration) Shahzad Anjum (CJacks Arts Administration)