You might be wondering what a smart phone has to do with your art?! The reality is that smart phones are, at the very least, a portable display allowing any given artist's portfolio to be placed in the hands of a global audience. That is a extremely powerful piece of technology... Along with this new technology comes the creation of digital galleries for artists and art viewers alike. This has dramatically increased the accessibility of both parties to a growing digital network of art, artists, and distributors around the globe.
According to the National Endowments for the Arts website, The arts contributed $763.6 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, more than agriculture, transportation, or warehousing. When it comes to value added to the U.S. GDP; Arts & Culture ranks third on the list of top contributing sectors like Health care and Retail. The amount of revenue Arts and Culture produces for the nation's economy has increased by ten times what it was ten years ago. Hmm, is it coincidental smart phone use has increased exponentially in those last ten years?! The correlation between these two phenomenon is certainly undeniable, but is it enough to confirm causation.. This is the question that needs to be answered. Either way it's no secret that the increased use of mobile devices is driving the consumption of art like social media, television shows, movies, music, etc to an all time high.
While the full affects of the smart phone phenomenon have yet to be realized in the complex art world, the numbers are certainly showing a trend. What this trend means for artists is - opportunity. No longer do artists have to beg for a gallery to display their work. Now an artist can take their art directly to a global audience! Creators everywhere are finding their art being discovered through their social media postings. The best part of taking part in a digital community is that works of art can move through audiences and networks faster than ever! Now one can create, share, and market your art all in the same day. Whether just starting or someone with a lifetime of art to share, the smart phone is a powerful tool to be utilizing.
No matter the type of art you create get it out there for others to find. You never know who might see your work on their smart phone.
Until the next post,
BEST,
MJP