Colorado's A-Corp Bill: A New Business Structure for Artists

Colorado's proposed Artist Corporation (A-Corp) bill, introduced in the state legislature and first proposed by entrepreneur Yancey Strickler, aims to create a new business structure specifically for creative professionals. Unlike traditional business entities such as LLCs or nonprofits, the A-Corp would allow artists to form a legally recognized corporation without hiring a lawyer, simply by filling out a form. This structure provides legal separation between the artist and their business, protecting personal assets from lawsuits. Artists would be required to maintain 51% voting rights and state an artistic mission to prevent investor control over creative decisions. While the bill is currently pending, Strickler indicated on the podcast New Creative Era that it could reach the governor's desk by mid-May and be enacted within six months. He also hinted that five or six other states, including New York, have expressed interest. The A-Corp is designed to benefit artists with predictable, recurring revenue streams, such as musicians, NFT artists, and large collectives like Meow Wolf. Strickler's broader vision includes the Dark Forest Operating System, a collaborative ecosystem of artist-led communities that could pool resources for group insurance. However, as noted by Andrea Yang in the Cardozo Law Review, the practical implementation and effectiveness of A-Corps remain uncertain until the bill passes and artists begin using the structure.