Mission

It’s the best of times to be an artist.

It’s never been easier for filmmakers to tell stories, musicians to record songs, or artists to create in any medium. At HV, we want to empower independent and emerging creators to make and share their works with art lovers on our platform and beyond.

It’s also the worst of times to be an artist.

The independent spaces for artists to show and perform have vanished. Little local cinemas, theaters, bookstores, and galleries once fostered creativity and community. Now the loudest voices compete for limited attention. Social media and content algorithms decide who cuts through the noise and what artists can say. Smaller creators and independent artists have little control over this process. Marketing and self-promotion triumphs over artistic experimentation.

HV advocates a form of Creative Disobedience.

Tell the stories you want to tell on your terms. Share your work freely on our platforms and events. All our content is based on human relationships, not algorithms. We won’t censor, just curate. Our aim is to connect artists with other artists and art lovers. We believe all art is collaborative in some form or another. HV provides a community for artists and storytellers to meet, explore, and work together on passion projects. We only ask that you be civil and supportive of our artists and our mission.

Here’s our mascot Max with some tips.

Max’s Rules for Civil Creativity

  • Respect other people’s ideas
  • Be transparent in business
  • When you disagree, be polite and constructive
  • Be honest, but not rude. Be kind, but don’t coddle
  • Give credit where credit is due
  • Be bold (or at least funny)
  • Show up on time
  • Be of service to the project
  • Leave your ego at the door
  • Teamwork first.  No job is too small. (Now, go get my coffee!)
  • Remember to have FUN!