Terms of Service

Last updated: August 19, 2026

These Terms apply to participation in Outstanding Balance and purchases or support contributions made through Fortare Studios at www.Fortarestudios.com.

By completing a purchase or contribution, you agree to these Terms, the Return, Cancellation & Fulfillment Policy, Privacy Policy, and any additional terms displayed with the applicable purchase.

About Outstanding Balance

Outstanding Balance is an evolving participatory artwork consisting of a 30 × 24 inch painting divided conceptually into 720 one-inch squares.

Participants may support the project through square claims, Shape the Painting participation, limited edition physical prints, or general support contributions.

The project may continue for an extended period while the artwork develops.

Outstanding Balance is an independent studio project. It is not an official project of, sponsored by, or endorsed by Parsons School of Design or The New School.

What a Square Claim Means

For purposes of this project, a “square claim” is a record of a participant’s support and participation associated with one designated square of the project.

The claim allows that participant to be recognized, according to their selected display preference, as the person who supported the project in connection with that square.

A square claim is not a sale or transfer of the physical square itself.

No physical portion of the original painting is divided, transferred, conveyed, or separately owned by participants.

A square claim does not grant:

• ownership or fractional ownership of the original artwork;

• title or property rights in any portion of the painting;

• copyright or other intellectual-property rights;

• reproduction, licensing, merchandising, or resale rights;

• proceeds from any future sale, exhibition, licensing, or reproduction of the artwork; or

• creative control over the artwork except for the limited participation expressly included with Shape the Painting.

The artist and Fortare Studios retain ownership of the original artwork and all associated intellectual-property rights unless expressly transferred through a separate written agreement.

Claiming a Square

A standard square claim costs $25.

Squares are assigned by the project rather than selected by participants.

A claim records your participation and support in connection with the assigned square as described above.

Regular square claims may be limited per participant to preserve the distributed nature of the project.

Assignment of a square and completion of painting that square may occur at different times.

Shape the Painting

Shape the Painting costs $125 total.

For fulfillment purposes, that price is allocated as:

• $115 for project participation

• $10 for the included limited edition physical print

Shape the Painting includes one square claim and the opportunity to submit one short piece of creative input for possible interpretation into the artwork.

As with any other square claim, the included square represents participation associated with that square and does not convey ownership of the square or any portion of the original artwork.

Your Shape the Painting submission is creative input, not an instruction or traditional commission brief.

The artist retains full creative discretion over whether and how the submission affects the artwork, including its imagery, color, texture, form, composition, repetition, placement, removal, or other elements.

No revisions, previews, approval rights, or guarantee of literal representation are included.

We may decline material that we reasonably determine is unlawful, infringing, abusive, hateful, unsafe, explicit, or otherwise unsuitable for the project.

If we cannot provide the participation purchased because a submission cannot reasonably be accepted, we may cancel the affected purchase and issue an appropriate refund.

By submitting creative material, you confirm that you have the right to provide it and grant Fortare Studios permission to use, interpret, reproduce, display, document, and discuss that material as reasonably necessary to create, archive, exhibit, publish, and promote Outstanding Balance.

Public Documentation

Outstanding Balance is a public-facing art project.

The artwork and its creation may be photographed, filmed, exhibited, posted online or on social media, shown in portfolios or case studies, included in press or exhibition materials, or otherwise documented publicly.

The project may publicly identify which squares have been claimed and may associate participant-submitted attribution with those squares.

Public attribution connected to an individual square will follow the participant’s selected display preference where reasonably possible.

If no public attribution is provided or permitted, the square may appear anonymously.

Private payment information, private contact information, email addresses, and full billing or shipping addresses will not be used as public square-attribution information.

Partner Squares

Approved project partners or hosts may receive a square as part of a collaboration with the project.

Unless another arrangement is expressly agreed upon, a partner square may incorporate the partner’s logo or identifying mark.

A partner square represents participation in the project and does not by itself transfer ownership, copyright, or any property interest in the original artwork.

If a partner specifically participates through Shape the Painting or another creative-input arrangement, their participation may instead be interpreted according to those applicable terms.

Project Timing and Square Status

Square assignment and painting occur at different stages.

A square may be assigned shortly after purchase but painted later as the composition develops.

Because Outstanding Balance is an evolving artwork, completion may occur over an extended period.

An assigned square represents the participant’s place in the project even if the physical area associated with that square has not yet reached its final painted state.

Participants may receive communications reasonably necessary to administer, document, and fulfill their participation regardless of whether they separately opt into general marketing emails.

General studio marketing emails require the separate marketing preference presented during checkout.

Digital Final Artwork

Eligible participants and supporters receive a digital version of the finished artwork after Outstanding Balance is complete.

The digital version is a copy of the finished artwork and does not transfer ownership of the original artwork, copyright, reproduction rights, licensing rights, or any other intellectual-property rights.

Limited Edition Physical Prints

Limited edition physical prints are a separate physical merchandise component priced or allocated at $10 per eligible participant/order, as described at the time of purchase.

For Shape the Painting, $10 of the $125 total purchase price is specifically allocated to the included limited edition physical print.

Limited edition physical prints are produced only after the final artwork is complete and will be shipped according to the stated fulfillment timeline and the Return, Cancellation & Fulfillment Policy.

Purchasing or receiving a print does not convey ownership of the original artwork or copyright in the image depicted.

If an issue affects only the limited edition physical print, any applicable refund may be limited to the $10 amount paid or allocated to that print, while previously fulfilled project participation remains subject to its separate terms, except where otherwise required by law.

Support Contributions

General support contributions support Outstanding Balance, related project expenses, and related education costs.

A general support contribution does not claim a square unless expressly stated otherwise and does not increase the 720-square claimed count.

Support contributions do not grant ownership, copyright, creative control, or any interest in the original artwork.

Support contributions are not represented as charitable or tax-deductible donations.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Use:

For purposes of these Terms, “Studio Materials” includes artwork, works in progress, photographs, videos, graphics, product designs, prints, sketches, written materials, branding, logos, visual identity, documentation, digital files, and other creative material created by or made available through the artist and Fortare Studios.

Except with prior written permission from Fortare Studios, studio materials may not be uploaded, submitted, copied, scraped, extracted, or otherwise provided to any generative artificial intelligence, machine-learning, synthetic-media, or similar system for purposes including training, fine-tuning, dataset creation, embeddings, evaluation, prompting, reference input, image-to-image generation, style transfer, or the generation of new creative material.

Studio materials may not be used with artificial intelligence or machine-learning tools to create, develop, manufacture, market, or sell artwork, products, branding, advertising, visual assets, or other materials that reproduce, adapt, imitate, or are substantially derived from Studio Materials or that are presented in a way that could reasonably suggest they were created, authorized, endorsed, licensed, or produced by Fortare Studios.

No purchase, participation, access to the website, receipt of a digital or physical product, collaboration, or other interaction with Fortare Studios grants permission to use Studio Materials for artificial-intelligence or machine-learning development or generation. Any such permission must be granted separately and in writing by Fortare Studios.

Payments and Final Sales

Prices, quantities, and availability may change before purchase.

The price and terms displayed when an order is completed govern that transaction.

Project participation is generally final once fulfilled as described in these Terms and the Return, Cancellation & Fulfillment Policy, except where otherwise required by law.

Nothing in these Terms limits rights that cannot legally be waived.

Inventory and Assignment Errors

We may correct genuine inventory, pricing, square-assignment, payment, or technical errors.

If a technical or inventory problem prevents us from providing something that was purchased, we may cancel the affected portion of the transaction and issue an appropriate refund.

If a square is accidentally assigned more than once because of a technical or administrative error, Fortare Studios may correct the assignment and provide the affected participant with another available square.

Changes to the Artwork and Website

Because Outstanding Balance is an evolving artwork, its physical appearance, composition, individual square areas, website presentation, public archive, exhibition format, and documentation may change substantially while the project develops.

The conceptual square grid functions as a structure for participation and project documentation. It does not divide the physical painting into independently owned or transferable pieces.

Creative changes to the artwork do not give participants approval, revision, ownership, or cancellation rights over the finished piece except where otherwise required by law.

Governing Policies

These Terms should be read together with:

• the Return, Cancellation & Fulfillment Policy;

• the Privacy Policy; and

• any product-specific terms displayed before purchase.

Where applicable law provides rights that cannot legally be waived by these Terms, those rights remain in effect.

Contact

Questions about these Terms or a transaction can be sent to:

Fortare Studios LLC
info@fortarestudios.com

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Outstanding Balance is a participatory artwork operated by Fortare Studios. Because participation becomes part of an evolving artwork, project participation is treated differently from ordinary physical merchandise.

Claim a Square:

A standard square claim costs $25 and covers participation in Outstanding Balance, including assignment of a square and the final digital version of the completed artwork.

Square participation is generally final once the purchase has been completed and the square has been assigned, except where otherwise required by law or where we are unable to provide the purchased participation.

Participants may separately purchase a Limited edition physical print for $10 while the project is active, subject to eligibility stated at the time of purchase.

The $10 Physical Print is a separate physical merchandise component from the $25 square participation.

Shape the Painting:

Shape the Painting costs $125 total, allocated as follows for fulfillment purposes:

• $115 — project participation, including one claimed square and one opportunity to submit creative input for interpretation into the artwork

• $10 — Limited Edition Physical Print

Shape the Painting is participation in an artwork, not a traditional commission. Submitted material will be interpreted by the artist. The purchase does not include revisions, approval rights, previews, or guaranteed literal representation.

The participation portion is generally final once the square has been assigned and the submitted input has been accepted into the project process, except where otherwise required by law or where we are unable to provide the purchased participation.

Support Contributions:

Support contributions do not claim a square and do not affect the 720-square tracker.

Eligible supporters receive the final digital version of the completed artwork. Support contributions are generally final except where otherwise required by law or where we agree to correct an accidental duplicate or processing error.

Support contributions are not represented as charitable or tax-deductible donations.

Eligible supporters who purchase the separate $10 Limited Edition Physical Print add-on are subject to the same Limited Edition Physical Print fulfillment terms below.

Limited Edition Physical Print Fulfillment

Limited Edition Physical Prints are a participant-only physical edition connected to Outstanding Balance. They are not available as a general standalone print while the project is active.

Limited Edition Physical Prints are pre-ordered before the final artwork exists and will be produced after the painting is complete.

Current promised ship-by date: November 21, 2026.

Physical Print fulfillment is currently limited to U.S. shipping addresses.

If we determine that an Physical Print cannot be shipped by the promised date, affected customers will be contacted and given the delay or refund options required by applicable law.

If an issue relates only to the Physical Print, any refund may be limited to the $10 amount allocated to the Physical Print. Previously fulfilled square participation, Shape the Painting participation, Support contributions, and other fulfilled portions of the transaction remain subject to their own refund terms and are not automatically refunded because of an Physical Print issue, except where otherwise required by law.

Damaged, Incorrect, or Lost Prints:

If a Physical Print arrives materially damaged, defective, incorrect, or is lost in transit, contact info@fortarestudios.com with the applicable order information.

We may offer a replacement at no additional charge. If we cannot provide an appropriate replacement or a refund is otherwise required, the refund for a Physical Print purchased or allocated at $10 may be limited to $10, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Digital Final Artwork:

Eligible participants and supporters will receive a digital version of the completed painting after Outstanding Balance is finished.

The final digital version is included as part of project participation/support and is not separately priced as physical merchandise.

Mini Originals, Commissions, and Other Work:

Mini Originals, commissions, and other studio work are separate from Outstanding Balance and may have their own pricing, fulfillment, cancellation, or return terms stated on their respective listings or agreements.

Order Problems:

If you believe there is an error involving your purchase, square assignment, eligibility, Physical Print, or order, contact:

info@fortarestudios.com

Please include your order information so the issue can be reviewed.

Last updated: August 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Fortare Studios collects, uses, stores, and shares information through www.fortarestudios.com, including the Outstanding Balance project.

Information We Collect:

Depending on how you interact with the site, we may collect:

• name

• email address

• billing or shipping information when required for a transaction

• order and payment-status information

• square assignment and participation information

• optional public display name, initials, alias, or studio name

• optional city and state

• public display preference

• Shape the Painting submission information

• Archive Print eligibility and fulfillment information

• marketing-email preferences

• communications you send to us

• basic technical, cookie, analytics, device, browser, or site-usage information

Payment-card information is processed by third-party payment providers. We do not intentionally store full payment-card numbers in the Outstanding Balance Square Ledger.

How We Use Information:

We may use information to:

• process purchases and Support contributions

• assign and track squares

• administer Shape the Painting submissions

• provide order and project updates

• fulfill digital artwork and Archive Prints

• maintain the public and internal project archive

• respond to inquiries

• maintain accounting and business records

• investigate fraud, errors, disputes, or chargebacks

• operate, secure, analyze, and improve the website

• comply with applicable obligations

If you separately opt into studio marketing emails, we may also use your email address to send promotional communications about future projects, releases, commissions, exhibitions, events, and other studio updates.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe option provided in those messages.

Public Square Information:

Outstanding Balance includes a public participation archive.

Depending on the public-display preference you select, the project may display information such as:

• first name

• initials

• alias or studio name

• optional city and state

• assigned square

If you provide no display preference, your square may appear anonymously.

We will not intentionally display your private email address, full billing or shipping address, payment details, or other private checkout information as square attribution.

You may contact us to request a change to your public attribution where reasonably possible. Internal transaction, accounting, dispute, and fulfillment records may still need to be retained.

Shape the Painting:

If you participate in Shape the Painting, your submitted creative input and the artist's interpretation of that input may become part of the artwork and its public documentation as described during purchase and in the Terms of Service.

Service Providers:

We rely on third-party services to operate the project and website.

Depending on the final launch configuration, these may include services for:

• website hosting and commerce

• payment processing

• email

• automation

• spreadsheets and cloud storage

• analytics

• shipping or fulfillment

These providers may process information as necessary to perform services on our behalf.

The current project setup may include Squarespace, the selected payment processor, Google services, Make, and other tools identified in the live site configuration. This policy may be updated if those services materially change.

Data Retention:

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for purposes such as:

• fulfilling purchases

• maintaining the project and its archive

• resolving disputes

• preventing fraud

• maintaining appropriate business and accounting records

• complying with applicable obligations

Approved public square attribution may remain part of the historical archive of the artwork.

Cookies and Analytics:

The site may use cookies or similar technologies for functions such as checkout, security, site preferences, analytics, and marketing.

Where appropriate, visitors may be presented with privacy or cookie controls for non-essential technologies.

Data Security:

We take reasonable measures to protect information within our control.

However, no online service, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

Children:

The website and project are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children under 13.

Your Choices and Requests:

Depending on applicable law and where you live, you may have rights relating to access, correction, deletion, or other treatment of personal information.

You may also contact us to:

• update your public display preference

• ask a privacy question

• correct information

• request removal from marketing communications

Contact

Privacy questions or requests can be sent to:

Fortare Studios

info@fortarestudios.com