Artists Wiki:About

The Artists Wiki (wiki.dehilster.com) is a free encyclopedia of artists and venues that are not on Wikipedia. It was founded in 2026 by David de Hilster.

The big idea

Wikipedia only includes people who meet its "notability" guidelines, which means significant coverage in independent newspapers, books or major media. Most working artists never get that coverage, however long or real their careers are. A painter with decades of shows, a stage actor with dozens of roles, a samba costume designer whose work has been in the Rose Parade, or a young performer building a résumé can all be turned away from Wikipedia, and their work goes unrecorded.

The Artists Wiki fills that gap. It gives every artist with a genuine body of work a permanent, neutral, sourced biography that includes their works, roles, exhibitions, training, collaborators and history. That record is useful to audiences, casting directors, curators, researchers, students and the artists' own families.

What makes this different from Wikipedia

• Artists, not celebrities. A real, verifiable career is enough. Press fame is not required. See Artists Wiki:Inclusion.
• Primary sources are welcome. Programs, playbills, exhibition pages, cast lists, résumés, the artist's own website and archived web pages can all be cited, as long as the article is clear about where a claim comes from.
• Still an encyclopedia. Articles are factual and neutral, not advertisements. Every statement should be checkable.
• All disciplines in one place. The single artist infobox works for painters, actors, singers, dancers, designers, filmmakers and writers alike.

If an artist is already on Wikipedia

Artists who already have a Wikipedia article are not the focus. An article may still be created here when it adds substantial detail that Wikipedia doesn't carry, such as a full list of works or credits. It should link to the Wikipedia article.

How to take part

• Add an artist or venue: artists and venues can add themselves, or anyone can suggest someone. You can attach files and links. No account is needed, and an administrator reviews every submission.
• Become an editor: editing is limited to registered contributors to keep out spam. To request an account, email wiki@dehilster.com.

Anyone may read the wiki. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.