New York Times
The online artist fund-raising site Kickstarter, which has raised over $75 million for 10,626 “creative projects,” is undoubtedly altering the degree to which uncountable ideas grow to be a reality.  The simple desire to hold a concert in New Orleans, but held back by a fear of losing money, set the fund raising platform in motion. The chief executive, Perry Chen, was dubious in the initial stages because he lacked much experience with arts organizations, fund-raising, or technology. Nevertheless, this influential web-based money-maker has proven to be a goldmine for artists around the world.  Online “crowd funding” (as the concept has recently been coined) is a leading example of the democratization of technology today.  Where will the internet, artists, and money take us next?