In recent art world news, popular social media site Instagram has been having a significant effect on the art world since its launch in 2010.  The photo and video sharing app has evolved into the cornerstone of the art world becoming a home to many in the industry, including artists, art collectors, auction houses, curators, galleries, and museums.  Many artists are using Instagram to promote, discover and sell art.

“Many emerging artists see the photo and video sharing app as a democratizer, helping artists who might not have representation from the most prestigious galleries or degrees from the most exclusive art schools get their work in front of big audiences.”

Before the arrival of social media, emerging artists had a more difficult time getting their work out there and being noticed.  In the past, under the traditional route, artists would contact local galleries and hope for a favorable outcome.  To promote a bigger following, artists faced numerous hurdles, such as securing representation at prestigious galleries, exhibiting around the world, and participating in premier art festivals.

With the arrival of social media, artists started using various services such as Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, and Twitter to highlight their work, attract audiences around the world, and advocate on their own behalf.  Instagram, however, is said to have the biggest impact on the art industry.  Remarkably, Instagram is on track to achieve a billion monthly active users in 2018.

“The coalescence of tech, demographics and changing buying habits also plays a role in making Instagram the tool of choice for art professionals.  In the Venn diagram of people who use Instagram and people who are discovering and willing to buy art online, the overlap is increasing.”

According to research from Pew, about a third of online adults in the United States use Instagram and among those aged 18-29, the app’s usage increases up to 59%.  Online art marketplace Invaluable, in its 2017 survey, found that nearly 56% of consumers in the United States aged 18-24 said they would purchase art online and 45% said social media is the primary way they find art.

Although art sales from the big auction houses from the likes of Christie’s and Sotheby’s are well documented, there isn’t much data on private art sales, and it’s difficult to say whether direct sales via Instagram are taking away gallery sales.  Though it has been reported that auction houses and galleries are seeing their own sales gain traction as their work is discovered on Instagram.

Major galleries and museums have even benefited from use of the app by cultivating tremendous followings on Instagram.  Museums use Instagram to promote upcoming exhibitions, provide followers an inside look at their operations, and make art more accessible.  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) views its Instagram page “as something of a virtual gallery that allows followers to feel like they’re seeing an exhibition, even if they’re not in Los Angeles.”  Smaller galleries, on the other hand, use Instagram to discover new artists.

Some artists have said that Instagram can be distracting, particularly when artists get wrapped up in seeing how many “likes” or comments their work receives as compared to others.  Some are concerned that “an overreliance on Instagram could discourage people from attending art shows and shift the enjoyment of art from an in-person experience to something that happens over a phone.”

As with any technology, there are going to be pros and cons, but it certainly appears that Instagram has had a mostly positive effect on the art world.

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