Wow! Excellent detail and analysis. I have some experience with MakersPlace, and do realize that they get their cut when something sells. But I've also had actual paintings in physical galleries, and not only did I have production costs, fuel costs driving the paintings an hour north to the gallery, AND the gallery owner took 50 PERCENT of every sale!!! On the plus side, the gallery had a charismatic owner who succeeded in SELLING the work I brought to her for sometimes TEN TIMES the price that I would get selling the work in my lawn.

I sell paintings off of blankets in my front lawn during the summer months for $10 or $20 each. The gallery sold my paintings for $100 or $200 EACH! (One sold for $300.00 cash. I made half of that price, but my cut was still $150.00 for ONE painting that, on my own, I would have been lucky to get $30 to $50 for!

What I'm getting at is that REPUTATION counts. I love your plan and feel it can succeed, with a substantial effort and focus, because a reputation CAN BE BUILT with some serious HUSTLING!

If we (should I be allowed to play, too) can get interesting artists making interesting art, get chroniclers and storytellers to spread the word about (and the IMAGERY of) the project, and can attack on multiple fronts (Hive, Twitter, Ello, Cent, PublishOx, Instagram, WordPress, Faceboot, Tumblr, Medium...), and use video interviews ABOUT the project, LIVE get-togethers for "openings," record podcasts talking about concepts, art styles, how-tos, history of the medium for outsiders and newbies, etc., to inspire artists, collectors, spectators, journalists, and curiosity seekers to check the project out and, perhaps, join in. (All of this should be FUN, exciting, creativily portrayed, and slanted as a UNIQUE ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT.)

This is how movements work and grow: Dada, punk, Fluxus, rave culture, and so on...)

Exciting stuff! I enjoy many of these activities and would happily and with great enthusiasm love to extend my services!