I find that my usual haunts for inspiration and art viewing have changed a bit lately. Over the years I tried to make Facebook work as a place to see amazing art. But my feed just seemed to be mucked up with more and more sponsored posts and I would only see the same three or four artists. Then I switched to Instagram and got into collecting all kinds of amazing artists to follow but the same thing happened. I had a short love affair with TikTok during the peak of the pandemic but my “For You” feed didn’t really give me all the eye candy I dreamed of.
I wish the world was full of artistic creations like this food truck with a spiral staircase I saw in Sheboygan but since it isn’t I’ve found other ways to consume the artistic creations of artists worldwide.
I know there is so much incredible art out there to be discovered but how do I find them with out too much effort? Well I seem to have hit on my best fit for my daily habits- I’ve subscribed to several art newsletters. This really works for me because I spend a lot of time on email and getting curated art served up to me as I’m working is a refreshing visual break that makes plugging through the inbox much more fun.
I love it when everyday objects become art! There are a lot of artists in Colossal turning unexpected items into works of art. (I saw these in the Rhino Arts District in Denver)
At the moment one of my favorite e-newsletters is “This is Colossal” . I get at least one email from them a day with three or four articles about art, craft and design. All the art is incredible! If I have time I will click the links to see the full article and more of the artist’s work. And if I’m hungry for more I can always click into their Instagram or website. It’s so much more fulfilling than just seeing one image zoom by on a social media feed. Generally the art from "Colossal” is very creative with lots of unique materials. Much of the work has a message that is digestible and filled with “A-ha” moments of wonderment, like the gothic chapels made of carved cardboard by Eva Jospin.
I came across this stencil art in Denver but I love it when there is great graffiti art right in my inbox.
I’ve also been a fan of “Hyperallergic” for awhile now. This e-newsletter has more news about art from the past and current times. There are a wider variety of types of articles including art critiques and gallery lists for cities and political art news. There can be all kinds of articles beyond what I would consider “art” like this one about a giraffe born without spots.
The other main art newsletter I follow is “Artnet News” . There tends to be less actual images of art on this newsletter and more news but I still find that the articles are interesting and give me an insight into the art world - as in collectors, museums and archeology. There are a lot of articles about the art market and the art that sells for millions at auctions. It can be interesting to study these trends even though it won’t change the art that I am making. This article about up and coming young artists was interesting because their art all has a very similar feel to it.
You might see art like this on Artnet News going for a few million but this actual piece was done by my nephews. I actually think it’s pretty awesome!
I’d love to hear where you get your daily virtual dose of art. Do you have a favorite e-newseltter that you follow? Of course I always want to see more amazing art in person but when I can’t it’s fun to get a little art in my inbox every day and who knows how it will fill up my inspiration bucket!
