Community What exactly is an Artist Corporation, and should you start one? Paddy Johnson has your back.

May 11, 2026 — 4 min read

Have you registered your "A-Corp" already? (edit Shari Flores/ Hyperallergic )

I keep reading about this A-Corp thing in Colorado, but I still don’t know what it is, let alone if I need it. Can you help? —Confused in Colorado

I sure can. An Artist Corporation or A-Corp is a new type of business structure for artists in a bill introduced in the Colorado state legislature, first proposed by entrepreneur Yancey Strickler. To understand why it’s relevant to you, we need to back up a little.

As an artist, you are a small business owner. You choose what type of business you’ll operate when you start making money. For most visual artists, this means filing taxes as a sole proprietor, which means all you need is your Social Security number.…