Outside Artists is a woman-owned creative studio in New York City, founded by producer and curator Claudia Grimaldi Marks.
For 30 years I’ve worked on both sides of the table. I produced editorial and fashion stories, reviewed hundreds of portfolios, and chose who received more than $1.6 million in creative grants for Getty Images. Again and again I saw so many talented people with strong work and great ideas but no clear way to tell their story beyond a grant application, and decision-makers who never saw the best of what they made.
At the core, I believe every artist deserves to be seen on their own terms.
I work with emerging creatives finding their footing and established artists protecting what they’ve built. That includes painters, photographers, filmmakers, performers, makers, and the institutions that support them. Their mediums and career stages vary widely. What connects them is work that is uncommon yet universal: made from lived experience, and impossible to mistake for anyone else’s.
That’s what I look for. It’s also what I care about most.
Every engagement starts with listening. Some people arrive with years of work and no idea what’s strongest. Some have one finished project and no plan for it. Some have a lifetime of material at risk of being lost. I help you see what’s working and what to lean into, then I help you build what comes next. The work is collaborative and custom, and nothing is copied from a template.
Start here: The Studio Visit
A 90-minute session in your studio or online. Bring everything: finished work, works in progress, the idea you haven’t told anyone yet. You’ll leave with a written Story Map covering your strengths, where your work fits, and three concrete next steps. If you book a project within 60 days, the session fee is credited toward it.
Then: Projects
- Portfolio Edit & Positioning | Editing your body of work, defining your strengths, artist statements, bios, and pitch materials.
- Story & Film | Short documentaries, interviews, and social video.
- Visibility | Press, grants, awards, and licensing.
- Exhibitions & Events | Curation, production, and art sales.
- Archive & Legacy | Cataloging, digital archives, and life-story capture.