Our Story
Our Mission
We support visual artists by improving discovery and sales of their art in both their local and global communities.
Our Vision
We believe art connects us all. Art has the power to shape our beliefs, our values, our ideas, our language, our traditions. In short, art helps define who we are. We also believe art is meant to be seen and shared. By expanding the ways in which we access and engage with art, we help build an economy where artists, small business and the general public mutually support one another.
Our Work
We bring art into spaces where people can engage with the works of art and the businesses that house them. We’d love to partner with you if you share our vision.
Our Values
Essential
We believe art has the power to serve communities by shaping a culture of understanding, equity and belonging.
Inclusive
We support and elevate arts that give voice, agency and power to those too often ignored, especially black, brown and native communities, women, LGBTQIA+, the young and the old.
Collaborative
We build networks, partnerships, and bridges between artists, small businesses, and audiences. We support the work of others already active in advancing the arts within their communities.
Nurturing
We foster a diverse, cross-pollinating, and respectful culture within our team, our partnerships and our communities.
Our team
Carlos Tarrats
Carlos has led the development of design experiences – ones that are both beautiful and purposeful – at industry-leading brands, such as Amazon, American Apparel and ELOQUII, and now, at LoCA. He is also a photographer who has exhibited his work in the Los Angeles area. His most recent series is observational, exploring the passage of time. He is particularly interested in capturing the elements of light, beauty and hope, often found in moments of unease.
Kristin Kaiser
Kristin is an avid world traveler and experienced marketing strategist who has held various brand strategy, marketing and consumer insight roles at Amazon Fashion and Gap Inc. She joined LoCA because she is passionate about both supporting and collecting art, with a personal goal of filling her San Francisco flat with works from emerging artists from both near and far. She previously served six years on the Board of Directors for Root Division, an art nonprofit in San Francisco.
Jasmin Bode
Jasmin has over 10 years of experience in curating art for a wide variety of audiences – galleries, restaurants, public spaces, and private collectors. She believes that art is an essential voice in connecting community within its societal context, forever inspired by the power of art to elicit a visceral, emotional response. Her passion for community building led her to LoCA, where she can further connect art, people and spaces. She also currently serves on the Advisory Council for Root Division, an arts nonprofit based in San Francisco.
Carly Milne
Carly has over 12 years of experience in e-commerce, including merchandising, product management and retail business development at Shopbop and Amazon. Her most cherished piece in her art collection is a sketch of her beloved dog, Taco, created by a friend and local artist in Seattle. Passionate about bringing more beauty to the world, Carly joined LoCA to build strong and long-lasting partnerships between local businesses and artists.
Ben Hunter
Ben is an award-winning musician, educator, community leader and social entrepreneur based in Seattle, whose work explores the intersections of music & art, community, policy, and culture. He founded Community Arts Create, co-founded the Hillman City Collaboratory, a social incubator, and the Black and Tan Hall, a community-owned hub that received $1.2 million Equitable Development funding from the City of Seattle. Ben joined LoCA to create a new business model in support of a rapidly growing creative economy and industry.
Aaron Brady
Aaron was previously with Amazon where he held marketing leadership roles in the Amazon Fashion and Prime brands. As an abstract painter, whose own work explores the depiction of objects in states of change, he has also been deeply involved with local arts nonprofits for the past 15 years, including Root Division in San Francisco and Gallery 110 in Seattle. He co-founded LoCA to help provide new opportunities for emerging artists to connect with their communities.
Aris Vrakas
Aris spent the majority of his career leading product and tech teams, most recently at Amazon. For over 15 years, he has been making art and working with emerging artists. He finds the greatest gratification in the act of creation, especially when that creation is aimed at benefiting society as a whole. And thus, LoCA was born – using technology to improve the discovery and sale of art in local and global communities.