ARTdata was founded by Saskia Leefsma. Since 1980, after her library studies, she worked in several libraries in England and the Netherlands. In 2010 she concluded a master in cultural information science through research into the best practices for collection management of deceased artists. Since then she works with artists, collectors and cultural institutions on the data management of their collections.

Friends and family are faced with a collection that is rarely well maintained. They often lack the means and the knowledge to make a proper and lasting inventory. Leefsma is convinced that an expert advice and a little training will safeguard collections like these from oblivion. She also strongly believes that by simple means artists are able to manage their produce themselves and will benefit greatly from this relatively small effort.