Bothell company Galleries HQ, which helps visual artists and galleries showcase their creations to the world, today launched a new Kickstarter campaign to extend its platform to iPhone.

Currently for iPad, Galleries HQ is an emerging mobile platform optimized for artists to promote their work. The Kickstarter campaign will help expand Galleries HQ’s reach to millions of potential iPhone users globally.

“Mobile devices are a great way to reach an increasing number of people interested in art,” said Wayne Bishop, an art enthusiast and traveler who co-founded the project with his wife Karen three years ago. “The rate of people acquiring devices has now outpaced PCs, and desktop purchases are on the decline. As a result, we want to promote artists through tools consumers use the most.”

Many artists, the Bishops said, have stories to tell but have no tools to reach groups beyond Facebook and a personal website. Galleries HQ is working to rethink how the arts community can benefit from the power and ubiquity of devices like iPhone. This includes discovering new artists, finding upcoming exhibits, and in the future, managing transactions like artwork and ticket sales.

To meet its Kickstarter fundraising goal, Galleries HQ has organized its campaign to match potential sponsors with artists. Any individual, business or organization can become a sponsor. With its iPad app launched in 2012, Galleries HQ currently promotes works from more than 80 artists in a dozen countries.

For more information about the project visit www.gallerieshq.com. To schedule an interview with Galleries HQ founder, Wayne Bishop, please contact him at hello@gallerieshq.com.