“What could be this idyllic, perfect art world where artists have full transparency, see an equity, and get paid for their labor in a really fair way?” asked Lauren Hirshfield and Kat Ryals when they started their Bushwick-based art platform Paradice Palase.

“What a beautiful Paradice that would be.”

Hirshfield, an art curator, and Ryals, an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on photography and lenticular prints, met in 2016 and connected over a discussion about the lack of opportunities for artists in the early stages of their careers. The duo conceptualized Paradice Palase, an art startup aimed at new artists trying to create a sustainable career in the highly competitive art market.