As a recent article in the L.A. Weekly by Catherine Wagley attests, art is blooming in L.A. At least art galleries are, which will afford artists new outlets and broaden the bulls-eye. New York is still an art Mecca, but it is slowly losing its reputation as the end-all-and-be-all for artists, galleries and collectors. The internet has already made major changes which are gradually loosening New York’s death grip. The walls aren’t tumbling down, but they are beginning to teeter.
Although the internet is not having the same devastating effect that it has had in the music and publishing worlds, it is a definite game changer and as change comes more artists will have an opportunity to play.
According to Wagley’s article, more than 50 galleries opened or will open in Los Angeles between late 2013 and 2015, twice as many as in the two previous years. That is a lot of galleries. Whether the sprawling city will support such an art influx remains to be seen. But, as the art world goes digital, more transactions are made online and sites such as Artsy, Etsy, Behance, Amazon and even, Kickstarter are allowing art and art sales to flow in different directions. The serious collectors are still primarily in New York, London and Paris, but there is a seismic shift occurring which allows geography to no longer be the defining factor dictating where brink and mortar galleries can open and (hopefully) thrive.
Although L.A. has always been viewed as the poor stepsister of the U.S. art world, these shifts are not simply about Los Angeles, online representation, art fairs websites and stage pop-up shows have offered art and artists different avenues to get in front of the public, the media and collectors. The world is now based in a digital context which means information, currency and art itself can freely flow from Paris, New York and London, but also from cities and towns located outside of that art triumvirate.
So, what does this mean for you as an artist? Quite a lot actually. You don’t need to be an Angeleno for this story to impact you. Yes, there is a change happening in Los Angeles, but that is indicative of a much larger shift in the art world. Because of the digital nature of our world, competition is becoming more democratized. If you’re an artist based in Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine with no New York connections whatsoever, you now have a much greater chance of establishing yourself, your art and your brand.
But to do so you have to take control of your art and your career as an artist and take the steps required to get yourself in front of your target market. You need an attractive, easy-to-navigate website that represents you and your art, you need to get comfortable with social media platforms, or hire someone who can help you on that front. You need to develop and launch a creative public relations campaign that gets you your art and your brand in front of the media, the public, collectors.
The internet is ushering in a new democratization of art. It is not a rapid shift, but it is a definite shift and one that, as an artist, you can (and should) use to your advantage.
Copyright © PR For Artists | Art PR Blog | Mora Communications 2015
Laio, Danny. “Adarsha Benjamin, pictured, and Eli Consilvio considered an online-only gallery but loved the idea of a physical space too much. They opened MAMA Gallery in the Arts District in December.” Photo. LA Weekly. 08 Apr 2015. 23 Apr 2015. <http://ow.ly/M2zUg>.