The State of the Arts
In my work in the arts, I’ve been exposed to the stories and aspirations of thousands of artists from emerging collegiate artists to established indie artists to renowned full-time professionals. They come from all walks of life and embrace vastly different strategies to having the exposure and lifestyle they desire. The common thread among almost every single artist I’ve ever shared conversation with is this: The art world is changing rapidly. Many have little insight into what exactly is shifting, or the impact of these shifts, and a small few have surprising clarity into the shifting tectonics of the art world. I’d like to shed light on some of these emerging trends and encourage conversation around exactly how today’s artists are impacted by these changes and how best to shape and embrace the future that is sure to encourage a greater level of creative exposure.
Online art sales are seeing exponential growth
The online art world is projected to double in the coming years from $1.57 billion in 2013 to $3.76 billion in gross sales in 2018. Art is finally hitting its stride on the internet as an ever increasing amount of art is being displayed, shared, and sold through online channels. Art buyers are becoming increasingly comfortable purchasing works online and directly from artists. As online art marketplaces continue to expand their global reach, they are able to aggregate art more effectively than traditional curators and gallery systems resulting in more effective exposure for art that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. This has created a rather interesting environment for artists today.
The artist discovery dynamic is changing
Geographical constraints, curator tastes, and less-than-optimal financial agreements with galleries have previously left artists dramatically high barriers to achieving recognition and sustainability in their art careers. However, arguably for the first time in history, artists are finding themselves capable of building out their careers on their own merit.
Artists are embracing direct relationships with their buyers, utilizing social media and third-party art sales platforms like Society6, Etsy, 20x200 (and hundreds more) to generate leads and close deals.
They are bypassing traditional curatorial practice and directly tuning themselves towards a larger collective curation driven by underlying cultural trends found in society itself.
Art is going public.
Traditionally, an artist’s work was only observable during gallery or event showings or when an artist afforded the public a rare showing of their studio space. However, today’s artists are granted the unique ability to create in public and receive feedback from a large population in real-time. Removing the gap between art creation and discovery is a fascinating trend that serves to accelerate the integration of visual art into larger pockets of mainstream culture.
Instagram is an amazing example of how many artists have been able to effectively provide a window into their creative process, generate massive exposure, and converse directly with their fan-base.
The future of art is bright.
Today’s artists are experiencing perhaps the most significant shift in arts culture in all of history. The democratization and vast adoption of music, film and the written word serve as valid precursors for the opportunities and challenges which lie ahead for visual art as it opens itself up to a much broader audience. As new methods of categorization mature and display technologies are improved, art will continually inch towards becoming ubiquitous in its nature. In time, artists who continue to learn appropriate strategies of engagement in online channels will find themselves well-staged for a new generation of art curation and collection in which their art is efficiently disseminated to those who would resonate with it.
