I consider myself an emerging artist: I’m early in my career, I’ve shown and sold my work, but galleries and collectors probably don’t know who I am. As such, I keep my eye on calls for emerging artist shows, but I never meet their qualifications.
Each gallery has their own definition of who qualifies as emerging. One call asks for artists ages 18 to 21, one for artists with 10 to 15 years of experience, and another for artists with at least 750 followers on Instagram.
I believe there’s potential for these titles—whether emerging, mid-career, or established—to help artists grow. As they stand however, these titles mostly benefit collectors; they can buy art before the artist finishes emerging, and their prices go up. These collectors can sit on these pieces until the artist’s value goes up, creating a monetarily valued collection they can sell at a profit, without necessarily benefiting the artist.
Younger artists have taken to Instagram to create accessible portfolio-esque accounts. It would seem understandable for galleries and collectors to consider this a reasonable measurement of success, then adding a high follower count as a requirement for show prospectuses. Various creative jobs also consider an applicant’s follower count as a credential in the hiring process. Kelly Micca, another emerging artist, described her frustration of being encouraged to apply to teach a workshop, only to be told she needed more online followers, “what am I supposed to do to get those followers? Beg? Hashtag? Dm everyone and spend all my time getting followers than actually painting?”
While many of us are frustrated with the link between social media and gaining real life success, an online presence is undeniably good advertising. “I wouldn’t say that the amount of followers on a given platform is entirely indicative of one’s professional achievements, but I do consider social media to be an invaluable marketing tool. With the absence of in-person art opportunities due to COVID-19, I found that most art vendors heavily relied on apps like Instagram as a means for sales and self promotion” explained Jane Bond, another emerging artist. Jane sold her first work in October through Instagram, and sold over 50 works since then just through direct messages. Kelly also considers Instagram to be a professional tool, as galleries and previous buyers follow her and are continuously updated on the work she has available, adding you “can’t really advertise works for cheaper”.
Rob Roesch, an established artist, explained that selling and buying comes down to social interaction. He believes that “as soon as you call yourself an artist” is when you emerge, and your journey begins. Rob, like Jane and Kelly, doesn’t put stock into the number of followers as a measure of success, and instead suggests to focus on the interactive aspects. While it’s certainly possible (and increasingly popular) to network online, in his opinion the best social interactions come from apprenticeships. Apprenticeships allow less experienced artists to meet and build relationships with more established artists, often resulting in a mentorship. The established artist would not only help the emerging artist decide which chances are worth taking, but provide opportunities usually only available to artists with longer resumes.
As an emerging artist myself, I want to take the next steps to build a sustainable career.
However, the emerging artist shows I have qualified for and participated in haven’t greatly impacted my career as a whole. While my work did sell at these shows, they provided a small momentary boost in sales and a handful of new Instagram followers. Although it did give me confidence and experience, I didn’t create meaningful connections with collectors or gallerists. I ended up feeling like I was just one face out of the dozens of other hopeful artists, and that by the next day any conversation I had with a buyer had been forgotten. Perhaps this comes from the massive number of emerging artists, compared to the smaller number of collectors and galleries. Even with DIY spaces and smaller gallery spaces opening, it seems that showing in a blue-chip gallery is the clearest step on the ladder towards becoming an established artist. Blue-chip galleries tend to show the work of mid-career and established artists, these works aren’t risky to purchase because their value has already been determined. Rob advised me to apply for summer group shows over emerging artist shows, as this is when gallerists take note of who is selling and who’s marketable, while emerging shows tend to be more of a gamble for potential buyers.
A big part of being an artist is finding your authentic voice. It’s a relatively common struggle throughout the emerging artist and recent art school graduate communities. There’s a huge temptation to make work that falls into trends for the sake of selling. But by focusing too much on the career aspect of being an artist, it’s easy to stifle your original voice. “Follow your bliss,” Rob advises me, “let your inner freak out.” Early in an artistic career is the time to experiment with a variety of styles and methods, to search for one that truly fits. Jane labels herself as a visionary artist, creating “vibrant, transcendental portraits and psychedelic paintings that embrace metaphysical journeys through creative expression”. She has found a label that reflects her, while being mindful of her choice of language and the content she advertises. “I think that like any business, it is vitally important to establish an image that is authentic and true to your values and interests.” She observed the social media presences and marketing strategies of her artist role models, to learn which strengths of her own to highlight. This method has not only contributed to her own success but also integrated her within a community of artists working in a similar style. “I’d religiously stalk the art Instagram account of John Speaker because his sales promotion strategies were flawless… He sells out of his entire stock every time there’s a new release […] It’s actually hilarious to admit this because he and I are actually friends now.”
Jane further explains, “finding this niche has been pivotal for my art career because for the first few years of classical fine arts training, I felt my artistic ability was solely judged on my capacity to replicate real life onto canvas. While I am able to create highly rendered, realistic portraiture, my role as an artist shouldn’t be reduced to a human photocopier,” causing me to reflect on how I haven’t found my niche.I experimented throughout my time in art school but struggled to find what feels like my own voice. My own Instagram feels like a mash of too many styles, jumping from realistic pencil drawings to figurative sculpture, then portrait painting and onto abstract works. But I get authentic joy from all of these methods, none particularly over another. Perhaps I’m still in the experimentation stages of my career. Still, choosing the next step is overwhelming. There’s an infinite number of directions to go at this point and at least as many methods to succeed. Is my lack of a label beyond just emerging holding me back? Have I not explored enough? Each piece of advice I have received is valuable, but if the roads to success vary as much as the standards of “making it” do, how can I know which to follow? I’ve been told it’s obvious to experienced artists which emerging artists are going to make it professionally. As an emerging artist, however, my own path remains unclear to me, and I am caught trying to untangle the complexities and contradictions of the art world. I hope that with guidance and a lot of effort, along with every other emerging artist, I will find my way and build a solid career.
See more of Avery’s work here.
