Michael Muratore left a career in finance in the early 90's to travel the United States. Settling with his family in Arizona, he went to work managing the popular local restaurant, "Oregano's", where he was eventually hired away by their advertising agency in an operational capacity; managing trade shows, sponsorships, and sales for the sports marketing department. When the principals split in '98, He began his career in artist management at Black Inc. Creative Representatives, where he spent 3 years managing 20 commercial photographers and illustrators. Michael left that agency in 2002 to pursue a career in web development, but after being approached by a number of prominent artists seeking representation, he decided to open his own agency. Store 44 Reps was formed in 2002, and today manages a dozen artists from around the world, at the intersection of contemporary fine art and commercial use. The boutique firm scored several big clients, including Sam Adams, Cox Communications, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Circle K, Pepsi, and The Vancouver Winter Olympics with it's unique roster of artists. Michael is currently serving as Board Secretary for the AIGA Arizona, and is a guest lecturer at Art Institute of Phoenix, Collins College, and Scottsdale Community College, where he speaks about commercial art marketing, copyright, and portfolio presentation.
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