Digital presence is no longer optional for artists — it’s infrastructure. Whether you’re applying for residencies, sharing work with curators, selling editions, or building community, the first question is almost always: Where can I see your work?

That’s why we’re excited to highlight is.art, a new creative handle service launched by it.com Domains in partnership with ART Registry — and now an official adopter in our community.

is.art introduces a simple idea: What if claiming a clean, professional online identity didn’t require building a full website?

A Simple Starting Point: yourname.is.art

With is.art, creatives can register a handle like:

yourname.is.art

Instead of functioning as a traditional domain with hosting and DNS management, it works as a redirect-only link. It points to where your work already lives — Instagram, Behance, a portfolio platform, or another supported service.

Here’s what’s available in this first phase:

  • Up to 3 is.art handles for free
  • No subscriptions, no renewals
  • Redirects to a curated list of trusted platforms
  • No hosting, email, or DNS management required
  • The ability to change where your handle points at any time (within supported services)

The goal is accessibility. As the official announcement explains, the service is designed to give artists, students, and creatives “an easy way to establish a professional digital identity without the complexity of traditional domain management”

Why This Matters: Digital Identity as Cultural Capital

Artists today operate in layers:

  • Social platforms
  • Portfolio tools
  • Marketplaces
  • Grant portals
  • Online exhibitions
  • NFT platforms
  • Institutional databases

The fragmentation is real. A short, memorable handle becomes a connective thread. And right now, handles and tags are cultural currency.

We’ve seen the power of short-form identifiers across:

  • @handles
  • hashtags
  • ENS names
  • profile links
  • Web3 wallets
  • bio links

Identity has become modular. Portable. Clickable. is.art fits directly into this shift — offering a structured, art-specific naming layer that feels intentional rather than generic.

Complementary to .ART — Not a Replacement

At .ART, we focus on full domains — yourname.art — which function as complete digital infrastructure:

  • Independent websites
  • Email
  • DNS control
  • Long-term brand protection
  • Authentication through Digital Twin metadata
  • Web2 + Web3 compatibility

is.art is different by design.

Think of it as:

  • A gateway layer
  • A first step
  • A clean link for students and emerging creatives
  • A lightweight identity for those not ready to manage a full domain

As stated in the announcement, is.art is “more than just a domain — it is a flexible gateway for artists to establish their digital identity today and grow it further as new tools are introduced”

In that sense, it complements the broader .ART ecosystem. It lowers the barrier to entry — and supports creatives at an earlier stage of their journey.

For example: anastasia.is.art could instantly redirect to the LinkedIn profile of our Head of Content, Anastasia.

One clean link. Easy to remember. Easy to share.
Cool — right?

Why Third-Level Domains Are Gaining Momentum

The CEO of it.com Domains, Andrey Insarov, noted the growing impact of third-level domains in helping individuals carve out distinct spaces online.

This reflects a broader trend:

  • People want ownership of their identity.
  • They want something more intentional than a random link aggregator.
  • They want something more professional than a raw social URL.
  • But they don’t always want (or need) full infrastructure on day one.

Third-level domains offer a middle ground. For artists in particular, where credibility and presentation matter, a clean “yourname.is.art” reads differently than a long platform URL.

A Cost-Free Entry Point for Emerging Creators

The service is intentionally positioned as cost-effective and accessible, especially for students, emerging artists, and hobbyists

That matters.

Not every creative is ready to:

  • Invest in hosting
  • Build a website
  • Manage renewals
  • Learn DNS

But everyone benefits from a stable, memorable identity.

is.art allows artists to:

  • Claim their name early
  • Share a clean link in portfolios and applications
  • Signal seriousness
  • Centralize visibility — even if the work lives elsewhere

The Bigger Picture: Building a Layered Digital Ecosystem for Art

The art world is increasingly digital, hybrid, and global.

Institutions, collectors, curators, and collaborators discover artists online first. Identity, credibility, and clarity shape opportunities.

What we’re seeing now is a layering of tools:

  • Redirect handles (is.art)
  • Full domains (.art)
  • Digital certification (ID.art)
  • Online galleries
  • Web3 integrations

Each serves a different stage and use case.

Rather than competing, these tools create a continuum — from first visibility to long-term infrastructure.

Read the full press release here