Artist CorporationsThe Artist Corporation is now law in Colorado. Follow the discussion ↗

The Artist<br>Corporation<br>A new type of company designed for creative people. Artists keep majority control, intellectual property is protected by law, and the artistic mission comes first. Signed into law in Colorado in June 2026, the Artist Company Act is the first of its kind in America — and the model for every state.

What's an Artist Corporation?<br>TED Talk · 10 min

What the law creates<br>The Colorado Artist Company Act creates a new kind of limited liability company built specifically for artists and creative work. Here's what it guarantees:<br>51% Artist Control<br>Artists must own at least 51% of all voting securities at all times. This requirement is locked into the statute and cannot be changed by an operating agreement. The people making the art always control the company.

Artistic Mission<br>Every A-Corp must have a stated artistic mission in its articles of organization or operating agreement. The company can specify that the mission has primacy over financial objectives, that they're equal, or define its own balance.

IP Protection<br>Artistic work assigned or licensed to the company can never be transferred to non-artist investors or third parties. If the company dissolves, it reverts to the artists who created it. These reversionary rights are retained interests that never fully transfer to the company and are not available to creditors.

Separation of Rights<br>Economic rights can be separated from governance and control rights. Investors can hold rights to distributions, royalties, and revenue participation without getting voting power or creative control.

Shares & Collective Ownership<br>A-Corps can issue ownership units — including fractional units — letting artists build equity and share ownership with collaborators. Equity can be based on capital contributions (including artistic work as in-kind contributions), equal shares per member, or fixed percentages. Artists can raise capital by issuing shares while maintaining majority control.

Flexible Formation<br>By July 1, 2027, the Colorado Secretary of State will provide long-form articles with check-box and fill-in-the-blank provisions — covering ownership structure, governance, IP terms, tax treatment, and more. No expensive lawyers required.

Go deeper<br>Pre-Register<br>See how the A-Corp works in practice by going through a registration process based on the actual Colorado law.<br>Start registration →Stories<br>See how the A-Corp would change real careers — a musician, a ceramicist, and a creative collective.<br>Read the stories →The Law<br>Where the A-Corp came from, what it does, and how to read the actual Colorado statute.<br>Read the act →Compare<br>See how the A-Corp stacks up against LLCs, S-Corps, C-Corps, and other structures side by side.<br>Compare structures →Get Involved<br>It's law in Colorado — now help bring it everywhere. Spread the word, share your experience, or help bring A-Corps to your state.<br>Ways to help →

Most of what the A-Corp offers is technically possible today — if you hire the right lawyers and draft the right agreements. The Colorado Artist Company Act makes it a standard form, accessible and affordable to anyone.

Questions<br>What exactly is an Artist Corporation?<br>An A-Corp is a limited liability company organized under the Colorado Artist Company Act (SB 26-133). It's an LLC with special provisions built into the statute: a required artistic mission, mandatory 51% artist ownership of voting securities, reversionary rights that return intellectual property to artists if the company dissolves, and the ability to separate economic rights from governance rights. The law defines an "artist" broadly — anyone who creates works of authorship or artistic expression in any medium, including writing, music, film, visual art, digital content, performance, photography, craft, and interactive media.

How is this different from a regular LLC?<br>A regular LLC has no requirements about who controls it, no mission protections, and no special IP provisions. An A-Corp locks in artist majority control by statute — not just by agreement. It provides reversionary rights so artistic work reverts to creators on dissolution, which a standard LLC doesn't. It allows economic rights (distributions, royalties) to be separated from governance rights, so you can bring in investors without giving up creative control. And it introduces the A-Corp share — a new ownership tool that lets artists issue fractional units, build equity from their creative work, and share ownership with collaborators and supporters while maintaining majority control. The long-form articles will also make formation simpler — check-box and fill-in-the-blank provisions instead of expensive custom operating agreements.

Where does this stand right now?<br>It's law. Senate Bill 26-133, the Colorado Artist Company Act, passed the Colorado General Assembly with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on June...