What Drawing Society does

Drawing Society is a private French association (loi 1901) headquartered in Paris that operates a vertically integrated platform dedicated exclusively to contemporary drawing. Founded in September 2021 by Christine Phal and Carine Tissot to consolidate multiple pre-existing entities, the organization spans art fairs (Drawing Now Art Fair in March and Signatures Art Fair in November, both held at Carreau du Temple), an exhibition center (Drawing Lab, 150 m2 with three annual shows), cultural engineering services (Drawing on Demand, active for 20 years), a publishing arm producing limited artist editions (Drawing Edition), and a hospitality division comprising three 4-star Paris hotels — Drawing Hotel (48 rooms), Drawing House (143 rooms), and Miss Fuller Hotel. The group also runs the Printemps du Dessin national festival with Ministry of Culture backing, an artist residency program (Drawing Factory), a pop-up editions market (Drawing Market), and a philanthropic community membership (Drawing Friends) eligible for French Mécénat tax deductions.

The organization serves four distinct stakeholder groups: collectors and art enthusiasts accessing fairs, exhibitions, and editions; B2B clients in event management, hospitality, and real estate commissioning bespoke cultural projects; international galleries exhibiting at fairs; and hotel guests experiencing curated art environments. Its underlying "technology" is cultural engineering — a curated operational model combining curatorial expertise, physical exhibition infrastructure, hospitality design, and a publisher-artist pipeline rather than a software platform. No proprietary software, APIs, or AI capabilities are disclosed. Drawing Now Art Fair hosts more than 70 international galleries presenting over 300 artists and nearly 2,000 works annually, while Drawing on Demand has delivered artistic commissions to event professionals, hotels, and real estate developers (including SOFERIM, Sogaris) for two decades.

Drawing Society generates revenue through five intersecting streams: B2B professional services fees from Drawing on Demand; booth and admission fees from the two art fairs; room, bar, and boutique revenue from the three hotels; sales of limited-edition art products via Drawing Edition; and recurring tax-deductible contributions from Drawing Friends members. Distribution is event-driven and community-led, with institutional support from the Ministry of Culture, active Instagram campaigns, and free public access to Drawing Lab exhibitions supporting top-of-funnel engagement. The organization is founder-owned and operated without disclosed external institutional investors.

Name

Drawing Society

Legal name

Drawing Society

Website

https://drawingsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drawing Society is a Paris-based non-profit association operating a vertically integrated platform dedicated to contemporary drawing, spanning art fairs (Drawing Now, Signatures), Drawing Lab exhibitions, three 4-star themed hotels, cultural engineering services, artist publishing, and a philanthropic membership community serving collectors, galleries, and B2B clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Services & Hospitality

NAICS

Museums (71211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art & Culture (Gallery/Museum) Hotels (THAGADAC)

Keywords

• Contemporary art fairs
• Cultural engineering services
• Art-focused hospitality
• Artist publishing editions
• Drawing exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Cultural Engineering Services (Drawing on Demand): B2B services providing bespoke artistic projects for event professionals, hospitality, and real estate. Services include artistic palisades, murals, public art commissions (1 immeuble - 1 œuvre), temporary space occupations, and event productions with contemporary drawing artists.
2. Art Fair Admission & Gallery Fees: Revenue from Drawing Now Art Fair and Signatures Art Fair exhibitions held at Carreau du Temple, Paris. Drawing Now Art Fair hosts over 70 international galleries presenting more than 300 artists and nearly 2,000 works.
3. Hospitality (Drawing Hotels Collection): Revenue from three 4-star hotels in Paris: Drawing Hotel (48 rooms, 1st arrondissement), Drawing House (143 rooms, 14th arrondissement near Montparnasse), and Miss Fuller Hotel (17th arrondissement near Arc de Triomphe). Hotels feature art curation, boutiques, bars, and Drawing Edition products.
4. Drawing Edition Publishing: Publishing brand developing art objects, limited editions, and artist-designed products sold through hotel boutiques. Supports contemporary creation and funds events, exhibitions, and works with drawing artists.
5. Drawing Friends Membership: Philanthropic membership program offering tax deductions (66% for individuals, 60% for companies up to 0.5% of turnover) in exchange for supporting contemporary creation. Members receive access to events, exhibitions, VIP passes, and hotel discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Drawing Society organizes contemporary drawing art fairs (Drawing Now Art Fair and Signatures Art Fair), operates a Drawing Hotels Collection of three 4-star themed hotels in Paris (Drawing Hotel, Drawing House, Miss Fuller Hotel), runs the Drawing Lab exhibition space hosting three annual shows, and provides bespoke cultural engineering services through Drawing on Demand for event professionals, hotels, and real estate developers. The organization also publishes limited artist editions (Drawing Edition) and operates the Drawing Friends philanthropic membership program under French Mécénat tax law.

Product overview

Drawing Society is an umbrella organization dedicated to contemporary drawing that operates a dual-axis business model combining artistic activities and hospitality. The artistic axis includes Drawing Now Art Fair (Europe's first drawing-only art fair), Signatures Art Fair (limited edition art fair), Drawing Lab (private art center with 3 annual exhibitions), Drawing on Demand (cultural engineering services for artistic projects), and Drawing Edition (artist merchandise publishing). The hospitality axis comprises the Drawing Hotels Collection: Drawing Hotel (48-room boutique hotel in Paris 1st), Drawing House (143-room hotel in Paris 14th), and Miss Fuller Hotel (4-star hotel in Paris 17th). Additional programs include Drawing Friends membership, Printemps du Dessin festival, and Drawing Factory artist residencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drawing Hotel A 4-star boutique hotel with 48 rooms located at 17 rue de Richelieu in Paris 1st arrondissement. Houses the Drawing Lab art center at level -1 and serves as a destination dedicated to contemporary drawing.
• Drawing House A 4-star hotel with 143 rooms at 21 rue Vercingétorix in Paris 14th arrondissement, near Gare Montparnasse, entirely dedicated to contemporary drawing and participating in the renaissance of the Montparnasse artistic neighborhood.
• Miss Fuller Hotel A 4-star hotel in Paris 17th arrondissement near the Arc de Triomphe, featuring an Art Nouveau stone facade from 1894 designed by architect Louis Marnez, with interior design by NIDO agency and invited artists reviving the Art Nouveau style.
• Drawing Lab A private art center of 150 m2 dedicated to promoting contemporary drawing, located at level -1 of Drawing Hotel. Presents three exhibitions per year, free entry, founded by Christine Phal.
• Drawing Now Art Fair The first contemporary art fair exclusively dedicated to drawing in Europe, held annually in March at Carreau du Temple in Paris, hosting over 70 international galleries presenting more than 300 artists and nearly 2,000 works.
• Signatures Art Fair A fair dedicated to modern and contemporary art in limited editions including engraving, photography, silkscreen, printed works and hybrid forms. Brings together around forty French and international galleries and publishers at Carreau du Temple, Paris.
• Drawing on Demand A cultural engineering company specializing in the design, implementation, and realization of bespoke artistic projects. Creates projects with contemporary drawing artists for event professionals, hospitality, and real estate sectors, including artistic palisades, murals, public art commissions (1 immeuble - 1 œuvre), temporary space occupations, and event productions.
• Drawing Edition The publishing brand of Drawing Society that develops various objects, limited editions, and artist-designed products available in hotel boutiques. Supports contemporary creation and funds events and exhibitions.
• Drawing Friends A community circle of contemporary drawing enthusiasts offering tax-deductible contributions under French Mécénat law (66% for individuals, 60% for companies up to 0.5% of turnover). Members receive access to Drawing Society events, VIP passes to art fairs, artist studio visits, vernissages, and hotel discounts.
• Printemps du Dessin A national drawing festival in France launched at the end of March to coincide with Drawing Now Paris, bringing together drawing exhibitions in institutions and art centers along with workshops, lectures, and artist encounters. Supported by the Ministry of Culture since 2018.
• Drawing Market A pop-up market dedicated to contemporary artist editions featuring serigraphs, engravings, ceramics, t-shirts, and artist editions, located at 19 rue Vercingétorix in Paris 14th arrondissement.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCnap partnered with Drawing Society to create the Drawing Factory artist residency program. The project, supported by the Ministry of Culture's recovery plan, provided free workspace and monthly grants to artists for 6 months in a former hotel converted to artist studios.
• SOFERIMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate developer SOFERIM partnered with Drawing Society to create the Drawing Factory artist residency in a former hotel at 11 avenue Mac-Mahon, Paris 17e, from March to September 2021.
• NIDOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design agency NIDO collaborated with Drawing Society and invited artists to revive the Art Nouveau style at Miss Fuller Hotel, located near the Arc de Triomphe.
• SogarisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSogaris commissioned Drawing on Demand to create a 32-meter artistic palisade for the 'Immeuble Inversé' construction project near Centre Pompidou. The project involved selecting artist Chloé Dugit-Gros through a committee including representatives from Paris city government and art professionals.
• Association Drawing Projects & FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit association (loi 1901) that pilots Drawing Lab and facilitates production and diffusion of contemporary drawing. Member of Trampoline, association supporting French artistic scene. Provides tax-deductible Mécénat donations for Drawing Friends members.
• TrampolineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation de soutien à la scène artistique française. Drawing Lab is a member of Trampoline network supporting French contemporary art.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TEFAF: European art and antiques fair held in Maastricht. Comparable organizer of curated, committee-selected gallery exhibitions targeting international collectors, similar model to Drawing Now.
• Frieze: Operates leading contemporary art fairs (Frieze London, New York, Seoul, LA) and media, directly comparable to Drawing Society's Drawing Now and Signatures art fair operations serving galleries and collectors.
• 21c Museum Hotels: US-based boutique hotel brand with permanent contemporary art exhibitions integrated into each property. Directly comparable to Drawing Hotels Collection's concept of art-themed 4-star hotels with curated programming.
• PAD (Paris Art + Design): Paris-based fair for design and modern/contemporary decorative arts, also held in central Paris venues. Comparable to Drawing Now and Signatures in being a curated, gallery-focused Paris art/design fair.

Regional players

• Experimental Group: Paris- and New York-based boutique hotel and cocktail bar group with themed, design-forward properties. Comparable to Drawing Hotels Collection in operating design-driven Paris boutique hotels at premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global members' club and hotel group with integrated art programming and a strong community/membership layer. Comparable to Drawing Society's blend of art-themed hospitality and Drawing Friends community.
• Maison & Objet: Major Paris-based design and lifestyle trade fair (Maison & Objet Paris). Comparable trade-show platform targeting professional buyers, though focused on design rather than contemporary drawing.
• Christie's: Global auction house with art fair participation, private sales, and collector engagement programming. Comparable to Drawing Society in serving high-end collectors and operating in the European contemporary art ecosystem.
• Art Basel: Global contemporary art fair organizer (Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris+). Overlaps with Drawing Society's Drawing Now fair in gallery and collector acquisition, but at much larger scale and broader medium focus.

Emerging players

• Liste Art Fair Basel: Basel-based contemporary art fair focused on emerging galleries and younger artists, comparable in scale and curatorial ambition to Drawing Now's gallery-focused contemporary drawing platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/signaturesartfair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drawing Society