Get ready for some changes, deviants. Website builder Wix has bought online art gallery DeviantArt for $36 million.
The 16-year-old art site and the freemium site builder closed the deal on February 22. Wix said in a statement that it intends to improve DeviantArt’s platform, especially the mobile app.
DeviantArt’s 40 million registered users will see positive changes, assured Wix. The two sites will work together to provide the creators who call DeviantArt home a new toolbox to build their audience and reach. Bloomberg reports Wix plans to integrate the two sites to make it easier for artists to create their own websites.
Wix expressed admiration for its new acquisition:
DeviantArt is consistently one of the most visited websites worldwide and has grown organically for over a decade with virtually investment in marketing or advertising.
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Wix president Nir Zohar told Reuters that the company is creating a paid subscription service specifically for niche users like photographers and musicians.
DeviantArt won’t be the only one to profit from the acquisition. Wix will give its users access to deviants and their art for site-building and design. This further adds to Wix’s varied suite of building tools, including its recently-introduced Artificial Design Intelligence.
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