TALENT

Creative Chameleon

Being Neighbourly x Julie Petris, Art Future Club

Author/ Being Neighbourly
19 March 2025

When it comes to wearing many hats, serial creative entrepreneur Julie Petris has a vast collection from which to choose. She’s been involved in many ventures over the years, each advocating for innovation, design, and community.

Her Hong Kong story began shortly after graduating from university and landing her first design position in her native US. A few months into the job, she was offered an opportunity to move to China and lead the design department for an inflatable factory.

“They needed cultural input to elevate their designs, and as the only designer on the team without ties like marriage or family commitments, I was the obvious choice,” she says.

After working in Shanghai, Petris moved to Hong Kong where she met her husband, and during two years as general manager, she realized she wanted more than just managing the aesthetics and packaging of designs—she wanted to understand the manufacturing process itself — why designs seldom work out as intended and how the entire product development lifecycle works.

Over time, she and her husband ventured into multiple businesses, some successful and others not so much. However, she says that each experience, taught them something vital and contributed to personal and professional growth.

While her primary focus is Design for Manufacturing in the Toy, Electronic, and Robotic industries, and she is the Chairman of Women in Toys, where she supports and empowers women in the industry, Petris’s ventures have expanded into jewellery, leading to her managing the importation and operations of Saint Bones, a luxury artisan jewellery brand from Vienna; and somehow, she finds time to volunteer as a docent at the M+ Museum; and curate the VetiVa Center for Animal Wellness and VIP Gallery in K11 Atelier as well.

“In the end, I see all my ventures and roles as interconnected—they all stem from my passion for creativity, innovation, and building meaningful connections.”

Petris says that her newest project, Art Future Club, reflects her belief that creativity should be a part of everyday life—not a privilege, but a given.

“Creativity enhances mental well-being, reduces stress, and builds problem-solving skills, no matter the field you work in. Art Future Club is my way of advocating for the power of art and creativity to inspire personal and professional growth.”

“Like many families, we were adjusting to working and learning from home, but the transition wasn’t easy. Subjects like art, music, drama, and PE were deemed “non-essential” and were cut from the curriculum,” says Petris, explaining how Art Future Club got its start.

She says that the whittled down curriculum was making her children lethargic, disengaged, and even a bit lonely. Recognising the need for a creative outlet, she decided to step in and teach them art herself. Her research into academic standards and online resources led to realize that not only were quality resources for teaching art scarce, many were “prohibitively expensive.”

More importantly, Petris found that most of the available tools didn’t address: learning how to talk about, share, and eventually earn from their work.

“This gap inspired me to create my own lesson plans, and I started teaching my kids. Soon, word spread, and their friends asked to join. What started with just my children quickly grew to 10 kids, then 15—and it kept growing from there,” she shares.

She says that what surprised her, was how quickly the initial FB page (started two years ago) grew—and not just among students. The majority of the followers turned out to be artists themselves, many of whom were looking for ways to feature their work and share it with a wider audience. “This unexpected interest made us take a step back and rethink our original objective,” she says.

Digital Assets: What Are They all About?

Digital art assets are becoming increasingly attractive for both artists and consumers for several reasons, and they complement rather than replace traditional, tangible art.

For Artists, digital assets offer:

* Accessibility: Digital art tools allow artists to create and share their work with a global audience instantly. There’s no need for physical gallery space or shipping logistics, which can be costly and time-consuming;
* Versatility: Digital art can be easily edited, adapted, and repurposed, giving artists the flexibility to explore new styles or formats without starting from scratch;
* Monetization Opportunities: With the rise of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and other digital marketplaces, artists can sell their work in new ways, creating additional revenue streams. Digital art can also be licensed or transformed into merchandise, expanding the potential for income;
* Longevity and Preservation: Digital art is not subject to physical wear and tear, making it easier to preserve over time.

For consumers, digital assets are appealing because:

* Affordability: Digital art is often more affordable than traditional art, making it accessible to a wider audience. Consumers can own high-quality pieces without the costs associated with physical storage or framing;
* Portability and Convenience: Digital art can be enjoyed anywhere on devices or displayed on digital frames, offering flexibility that physical art cannot;
* Customization: Consumers can purchase digital assets and transform them into products like prints, apparel, or home decor, allowing them to personalize the art to suit their preferences; and,
* Investment Potential: With the growing popularity of NFTs, digital art has opened up a new space for collectors to invest in unique digital pieces with verifiable ownership and provenance.

Ultimately, digital art assets provide a modern, flexible and scalable way for artists to create and monetize their work, while offering consumers more accessible and customizable ways to engage with and own art. They don’t replace traditional art, but expand the ways in which art can be created, experienced and appreciated.

“While the page started as a resource for students, it has evolved into something much larger: a platform for all creatives,” says Petris, adding that it’s become a space for artists to connect, showcase their work, and inspire others. According to her, this growth and shift in purpose ultimately shaped the idea of founding a larger art platform, one that could continue to support students, while also serving the broader creative community.

Today, the platform is open to all creatives, regardless of age or experience. “It is designed to inspire, educate, and connect people who value art, whether they’re creating it themselves, learning about it, or simply appreciating it,” she says, adding that our goal is to provide a space where artists and creatives can showcase their work, learn new skills, and feel empowered to pursue their passions.

“The larger art platform will have a phased launch, starting with a focus on the GBA (Greater Bay Area). This region is our initial priority due to its dynamic and growing creative community, says Petris. “However, we’ve also seen significant interest from other parts of Asia, including Singapore, Japan, and Korea, which makes Southeast Asia a natural next step for expansion.”

She shares that once live, users will have access to: Learning Modules which will cover various creative arts, including drawing, painting, multimedia, digital art, performance arts, and more. Each module will track your progress and provide tools to help you articulate your process and tell the story behind your work; Gallery Space, whereby users will have access to a virtual gallery where they can showcase their work and even host their own shows; Discussion Boards which will function as space to connect with other creatives, share ideas, and gain feedback.

There will also be a Digital Portfolio, on which users can upload their creations to build an online portfolio that highlights their work and accomplishments; and,
Monetization Tools. That is, the platform will provide ways for users to monetize their creations. Artists can sell physical artwork, create NFTs, or transform their designs into merchandise such as t-shirts, tiles, calendars, and more.

“Overall, the platform is designed to empower creatives by offering them a space to learn, connect, showcase, and monetize their art. Whether you’re a student, an emerging artist, or an established creative, the platform will provide resources and opportunities to help you achieve your creative goals,” says Petris.

“In addition to our focus on Asia, we are conducting beta testing in the USA, making it a logical launch partner as well,” says Petris, adding that, ultimately, the platform is designed to be global, and they plan to make it accessible worldwide, but their strategy is to roll out regionally, starting in Hong Kong and the GBA, before scaling to Southeast Asia and beyond.

What’s the best work advice you have received?

“The best work advice I’ve ever received came from my father,” says Julie Petris, serial creative entrepreneur and founder of Art Future Club.

“He had an unwavering belief in my abilities. From a young age, he gave me opportunities to take on creative projects that were well beyond what I felt capable of. He would ask me to design business cards and logos for his friends before I had even attended design school. He encouraged me to create hand-carved signage for luxury developments, schools, and local businesses, or to design menus for neighbourhood restaurants.

Every time, my initial reaction was, ‘I don’t know how to do this; I’ve never done it before.’ His response was always the same: “What’s the worst that could happen? If it doesn’t work, just try again.

He also instilled in me the importance of altruism and integrity in my work. He would remind me that it’s not always about making money or achieving immediate success. Instead, the process and the intention behind what we do matter just as much, if not more.”

Art Future Club
Room C, 15/F, Harvard Commercial Building, 105-111 Thomson Road, Wan Chai.