In a moment when the art market seems to be woozy with apocalyptic visions of economic crisis, several new websites are truly changing the game for the better.
Art Babble rules the art education realm right now, making contemporary art actually accessible to the masses for a change. The website is HOT with content, filled with tons of video and interactive media that makes learning seriously fun. The project is being organized by, of all people, the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Go figure!
Kickstarter plays with the concept of microfinancing and puts the tools for self-promotion and fundraising into the hands of individual artists. Musicians, writers, painters, etc. are using this tool to create groundbreaking new projects and get them funded using new social networking techniques.
Lastly, New York gallerist Jen Bekman is truly changing the art world with her wonderful website, 20×200. The concept is simple: twice a week, the site offers two new works of art– one photo and one print. They offer one amazingly affordable edition in a small size for only twenty dollars, and several other large, more limited editions for more money. The work is seriously amazing, and many of these emerging artists are extremely talented.
Now there really is no excuse not to learn about art, make art (and get funding for it!) and even collect the crazy stuff.