Do you want to get involved in creative work? Are you thinking about getting serious about illustration? Worried that you won’t make enough money and that the competition in this profession is too high? There is still room for you in the niche that interests you! Read this article to find out how to become an illustrator, what training to take, and what difficulties you may encounter.

Who is an illustrator?

It is a person who creates images, graphics, and artistic images for different fields. Most of the images we encounter in everyday life are the work of an illustrator, from cute drawings on postcards to bright and eye-catching product packaging. This profession is perfect for those who live drawing and can’t imagine their life without it. As a rule, an illustrator is not bound to a specific schedule or place. You can paint from sunset till dawn and take breaks whenever you want.

Surprisingly, you don’t have to know how to draw to be an illustrator. Nevertheless, any illustrator should know: fundamentals of composition, color science, and fundamentals of plastic anatomy. These skills are within everyone’s reach, they are built up through frequent practice and exercises. There’s a lot of competition in this profession. To stand out and be noticed, you need to constantly evolve, follow trends, and look for new projects.

Where illustrators can apply their skills

There are an incredible number of areas in which you can work as an illustrator. Everyone will be able to find what they like. Here’s a list of the most interesting and in-demand types of illustrators.

Children’s illustrator

Here the illustrator creates illustrations for children’s books or other children’s products. You must have a certain vision of the world and a unique style.

Children’s illustration consists of several areas depending on age: 0-3 years old, 4-7 years old, 7-12 years old, and teenage illustration. Book illustration will suit those who have perseverance and like to draw not just one illustration, but a series.

Fashion Illustrator

Fashion illustration is the conveyance of fashion and modern trends. It is any illustration that relates to fashion, accessories and clothing. Where can it be seen? In fashion magazines and blogs, in the publishing industry.

Printing Illustrator

Magazines, newspapers, brochures, booklets, banners, business cards, invitations, postcards and, of course, the very pens, stickers and calendars that we often get at some kind of event. All this is the work of a printing illustrator.

Web illustrator

Not to be confused with web design! Web illustration is about creating images from scratch. Not photoshop, collage or icon design. More often than not, a web illustrator is tasked with the creative part of a website concept, which requires drawing something new and unique without using hackneyed images.

Game design

We’re sure that every one of us has played Sims at least once in our lives. This unique game was developed by game designer Will Wright. It has become one of the most influential games of our millennium, largely because it offered open and accessible game design for the first time. If you know games and have an idea how to improve them or make something radically new, it’s time to try your hand at game design!

Food illustration

Who doesn’t love to eat good food? Food illustration will always be relevant and in demand. It’s a true art to portray food in a juicy and attractive way, to taste the food in a rich way and to whet one’s appetite.

Architectural illustration

Architectural illustrators make a drawing come alive and turn it into a neat and clear picture. The illustrator’s job is to visualize and detail an architectural project in an attractive yet accurate manner.

Advertising Illustrator

We encounter advertising every day and feel dizzy with its abundance. However, each of us saw something that attracted the attention so that it forced us to stop and take a closer look.

The ability to create not only a bright corporate image, but to add to it attractive details that will make it stand out from the layer of competitors. That’s what an advertising illustrator strives for.

What is like to be an illustrator

Illustrator is a creative and free person, so being an illustrator you (let’s move to the future, where you can do everything and have already become an illustrator) can choose which income option is closest to you:

1. Working with a customer. You fulfill orders and work on the client’s projects, offer your visual solutions and listen to comments.
2. Selling merchandise. This can be stickers, posters, badges, or textiles (from t-shirts to shopping bags) with your artwork or even sketches.

While it probably won’t make you a multimillion-dollar fortune, it can be a good PR move that will boost your popularity and be much more important than the money.

3. Creating your own info products. As an illustrator with a multi-faceted portfolio, you can teach others who are just beginning their journey into the world of illustration. Whether it is a course for illustrators, a checklist, or a marathon is up to you.
4. Working as an in-house illustrator. Typically, these are companies that need an illustrator to fill a website, app or product packaging with visual content. Or it could be an editorial or publishing house where an illustrator draws covers for articles.

Illustrator’s earnings depend on several factors:

• The projects the illustrator works on. It depends on the illustrator. The competition is high, you need to constantly look for ways of promotion, new customers, and to improve your unique style.
• The field in which the illustrator works. Different areas of work are paid differently.
• Purchasing power of the customer. For different clients and companies, the price of the same illustrator’s work may vary.
• Market averages.
• Popularity and demand for the illustrator.
• Volume of work, time, personal interest, course certificate, and so on.

It is important to remember a few simple rules:

• The greater the responsibility, the higher the cost for the work.
• The more introductory information is given and the fewer the edits at each stage, the less the illustration costs.
• Little-known customers are often willing to pay more than the big brands.

Illustrator tools: what to buy for a beginner?

To work as an illustrator, you need a graphics tablet and a monitor with good color rendering.

To create a variety of images, you need to master: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or their alternatives: SAI and CorelDRAW.

How to become an Illustrator?

There are countless video tutorials on YouTube, which help to understand the technical programs and understand what, where, how, when, and why to click. But an instructor in a video clip won’t give you a hand personally and won’t point out your individual mistakes.

To get a real overview and entrance to the illustration profession, take illustration training courses. There are both online and offline illustration courses, and these will make you comfortable diving into a new field.

If you’re not yet sure if you want to work as an illustrator, take a small course of 3-5 classes. This kind of training, respectively, has a low price. And can be a great way to evaluate your next steps toward an illustration career.

Author’s bio: Jean Hartley is a professional content writer. She successfully works for an essaywriters.nyc service and also manages remote projects. Jean has over 3 years of experience in a worldwide marketing agency.

The post Essential Details You Need to Know About Illustrators appeared first on Art Business News.

One arena where this tension has become quite clear is in the realm of jewelry. We live in a modern world where we can decorate ourselves with mass-produced trinkets, but do those shiny objects constitute true art? What about the pieces that are formed with a skillful eye and hand?

Here, we’ll explore the relationship between jewelry and high art, plus we’ll see some examples from the creators who brought jewelry into the realm of art and the contemporary artists who use jewelry as their medium of expression.

Can Jewelry Be Considered Art?

When it comes to defining art, there is a wide array of definitions out there. But the most basic and general definitions agree that art should be creative, communicative, and relevant to the community it is displayed in. When you look a little closer, you’ll see that custom-designed (as opposed to mass-produced) jewelry ticks all these boxes, making it more than just a handicraft.

Overall, given the broad definition of art and the understanding that not all jewelry is art, how can we define “wearable art” when it comes to jewelry? Usually, this distinction is made clear by the artist. Often, the person who designed the wearable art and the person who implemented the design – often by hand, in a studio, with a set of specific tools that they are specially trained to use. This sets a bespoke piece of wearable art apart from simple mass-produced pieces of jewelry.

Also, if the piece was made by a person who put plenty of thought and intention into the creation of the work, while also drawing on clear and articulatable inspiration, then that piece can be considered a work of art. Even if the jewelry is slammed by critiques or not taken very seriously or never becomes well-known, the intention and skill of the artist make that jewelry artwork.

Another key indicator that a piece of jewelry can also be considered a work of art is the reactions from you, the perceiver. Does this jewelry inspire an emotional response, especially one that resonates with the artist’s original intention? Does the story or insight that inspired the piece shine through to the viewer when they see the jewelry? If so, this piece could very likely be considered a work of art.

Based on all these criteria, you can determine whether a piece of jewelry is in fact a work of wearable art. Of course, these distinctions are certainly subjective at points, but a careful eye and a deeper understanding of how the piece was conceived, how it was created, and how it was produced will also give clearer insight.

Visionary Artists That Merge Art with Jewelry

It’s not easy to draw the line between what is wearable art and what is “merely” jewelry, especially since the intrinsic value of the jewels and precious metals that compose the piece are often considered before its artistic value. But despite this hurdle, there are plenty of contemporary jewelers who are also fulfilling their roles as true artists.

For example, one of the first mid-century jewelry designers to really bring the form into the art realm was Margaret de Patta. She had clear vision about the form of her pieces, with an emphasis on color and how each piece took up space; her ideas were directly in line with fundamental concepts of sculpture. In her work, we see the artistic intention and commitment to evoking specific reactions from the view that is characteristic of art.

Another prominent – and contemporary – artist who uses jewelry as her medium is French designer and jeweler Victoire de Castellane. She currently works as a head designer for Dior Jewelry where she explores aspects such as texture, form, and color. These are the same elements that a photographer or painter would consider throughout the creative process; it’s clear to see how her own process and skillful application of technique put her in the same category as other artists.

Other contemporary jewelry-medium artists are also out to make wearable statements. One such artist is Estonian artist Darja Popolitova. Her recent “Save As” collection was meant to send a direct message about the mass-produced jewelry industry. Her work makes clear use of Dadaist elements while her medium – 3D printing – is a high-tech development on the form. Her pieces started as found 3D printing designs that she then extorted and modified, also incorporating a performative element as she filmed dramatized and stylizing scenes of much of the process. All these added elements help to define her jewelry as wearable art.

Final Thoughts

Jewelry as wearable art is a valid and well-defined niche in the art world, with its own history and development throughout the past century or so. Bespoke jewelry that exhibits the skill, message, and intention of the artist falls in line with the broadly accepted definitions of art. Although the value of jewelry as wearable art is often conflated with the price tag of the raw materials needed to implement the design of the piece, there is an underlying and valid artistic value to these pieces as well.

Contemporary artists all around the world continue to use and develop jewelry as wearable art, with new movements and messages emerging in the medium every season.

About the Author: Margaret Bell is a writer with The Pearl Source. When she’s not keeping up with the latest fashion developments in the world of e-commerce jewelry, she enjoys traveling, reading, and making music with friends. She believes in slower fashion and a more sustainable world moving forward!

The post Trend Spotlight: Jewelry as Wearable Art appeared first on Art Business News.

Dragonfly Woman by Rene Lalique – Art Nouveau

The Dragonfly Woman is one of the most notable works by French jeweler Rene Lalique. This corsage ornament was created in 1897, towards the latter end of the Art Nouveau movement that had made its way through Europe and the United States with its decorative style characterized by sinuous, asymmetrical lines.

Consisting of various materials such as gold, enamel, chrysoprase, chalcedony, moonstones, and diamonds, the Dragonfly Woman strikes a contrast between a regal female figure and an elaborate insectoid with large claws. This piece was presented at the Paris Exposition in 1900 and was later acquired by Armenian businessman Calouste Gulbekian in 1903.

The Works of Elsa Schiaparelli – Surrealism

Founded in 1924 by Andre Breton in Paris in 1924, the surrealist movement’s goal was to counter the restrictive boundaries of rationalism and liberate thought, language, and the human experience by eschewing typical structures in favor of the irrational, poetic, and revolutionary.

One of the earliest pioneers of surrealist jewelry is Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the most famous fashion designers who was herself influenced by known surrealists Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. One of her most notable surrealist works is her 1938 rhodoid necklace studded with metallic insects, giving the impression that the wearer has bugs crawling on their skin.

7 Necessities for a Woman (to feel like a woman through the eyes of a man) by Ted Noten – Conceptual Art

7 Necessities for a Woman is a piece of art made by conceptual artist Ted Noten, consisting of 3D printed nylon guns with 18-karat gold details. These guns contain compartments for the eponymous necessities, such as lip gloss in the muzzle, a pill compartment in the loading chamber, a toothpick, a hairpin, and a small vial of perfume.

This commentary on how femininity is subject to patriarchal standards is a prime example of conceptualism, a movement that arose during the late 1960s with the purpose of enforcing ideas and theoretical practices as opposed to the creation of visual forms.

Bulgari’s Wild Pop – Pop Art

There are few names that are as synonymous with pop art as Andy Warhol, renowned painter, printmaker, and filmmaker. His style, which drew heavily from pop culture and employed commercial imagery to create accessible works of art, inspired Italian luxury brand Bulgari to create various works of jewelry celebrating 80s pop culture.

Various gemstones, such as diamonds, emeralds, amethyst, peridot, rubellite, onyx, and aquamarine have been combined to represent synthesizers, marijuana leaves, hair curlers, UFOs, and even Ronald Reagan. This line of jewelry was unveiled at a launch party at the iconic Stadio dei Marmi in Rome.

The Opticuts of Margaret De Patta – Constructivism

Constructivism was a movement established in Russia in 1915, existing as an embracing of industrial society and urban space, rejecting decorative stylization in favor of calculated and functional assemblage.

Margaret De Patta was a jeweler who embraced constructivism. Her jewelry was a combination of silversmithing and lapidary that, while not as flashy as her contemporaries, made use of visual effects such as light refraction, image reflection, and magnification, resulting in De Patta referring to her specially cut gems as opticuts.

The Works of Alexander Calder – Primitivism

Primitivism is a movement that was born from a reaction to both anxieties of advancements in technology and an examination of the symbiotic relationship between older cultures and nature. This movement manifested in various artists creating works inspired by iconography associated with those cultures.

Alexander Calder was an artist who produced over 2000 pieces of jewelry that reflected his fascination with African tribes. To this end, he used materials such as brass and steel, with bits of ceramic, wood, and glass, and he also adopted their methods, using snippets of wire or fashioned rivets to connect strips of metal instead of the more typical solder.

Silent Protest by Dr. Mahtab Hanna – Dada / Dadaism

Dadaism was a reactionary art movement established in response to the First World War. Its defining characteristic is that it is strictly anti-establishment, exposing accepted and repressive societal conditions through the rejection of conventional artistic practices. This form of artistic protest continues to this day across multiple mediums.

One of those mediums is protest jewelry, which was examined in 2017 by British-Persian jeweler Dr. Mahtab Hanna in her show Silent Protest. The show illustrated the connections between wearable art and social commentary by combining decadent jewelry with representations of power and struggle.

The Works of Art Smith – Modernism

British Caribbean jeweler Art Smith was a pioneer of the modernist jewelry movement, creating various large pieces that combined surrealism, biomorphism, and primitivism. They were designed to be worn by avant-garde dancers whose movements reflected the free-flowing style the jewelry evoked.

The modernist movement itself was born during the late 19th/early 20th century because of broad societal changes that many artists believed should herald in new styles of art that could better reflect the newly emerging industrial world. By combining African tribal jewelry and dance that incorporated jazz, a genre of music pioneered by African American artists, Smith used his art to create a modernist statement rejecting the suppression of African American culture.

Jewelry by Architects – Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a broad art movement that exists to highlight how knowledge claims and value systems are contingent or socially conditioned. In terms of jewelry, postmodernism functions similarly to how it did for architecture, in that postmodern artists were rejecting the rational combination of function and form, deeming it aesthetically unpleasing. As a result, the goal of both postmodern architecture and jewelry was to be visually extravagant and unconventional while still retaining some semblance of function.

In the early 80s, Italian designer Cleto Munari commissioned several well-known postmodern architects such as Ettore Sottsass, Michele De Lucchi, Hans Hollein, Alessandro Mendini, and Peter Eisenman to create several pieces of jewelry for his brand new store. In true postmodern fashion, these works combined bold primary colors and elaborate geometry to create jewelry whose function was not obvious on sight.

Blockchain by Simone Faurschou – Digital Art

As digital mediums not only grow in sophistication but become more accessible to aspiring artists, the works of art that can be created from those mediums follow suit. Blockchain is a modular work of jewelry art created by Simone Faurschou that takes this concept to its logical conclusion.

Blockchain exists both physically, as a series of uniquely designed white and yellow gold blocks, and within the digital realm as an NFT (non-fungible token), a crypto asset that records ownership of a digital item. With NFTs being made from all kinds of art including paintings and music, it only makes sense that jewelry follows suit.

Author Bio: Chris Holdsworth is a member of the Gemmological Association of Australia and the National Council of Jewelry Valuers and has diplomas in Gemmology and Diamond Technology. His family started Holdsworth Bros. Jewellers in 1884 and Chris now runs the business with his brother Tim.

The post Ten Pieces of Jewelry That Reflect Major Art Movements appeared first on Art Business News.

So if you are looking into art colleges or want to know more about expected salaries and possible career paths, this guide might be quite helpful. Here are the most profitable art majors, from lowest to highest, that also offer professional development opportunities. All the data on payment rates and employment outlook is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Graphic Design

This creative field has great earning potential. According to U.S. BLS, the average salary for a graphic designer is $53,380 per year. The range is from $31,720 to $93,440. About 24% of professionals in this sphere are self-employed. It is a more flexible job, so one can work distantly or in the office, on individual projects, or on a permanent basis.

The associated education program allows for a combination of technology and art to create powerful imagery. The only downside is that there is a job outlook decline in this field by -4%, so there will be higher competition in the labor market right now. But it can also change in the future as the number of technology-related occupations is growing.

Interior Design

If you want to create comfortable yet beautiful living spaces, this is a valid opportunity. Interior designer programs are available in many schools and colleges and offer a powerful set of skills. And this major is more affordable than many other art-related degrees.

Usually, an interior designer gets $57,060 annually, with the range from $33,020 to $97,920.

Such a position requires not only artistic vision and understanding of fundamental architecture and color concepts, but it also demands strong communication skills to gather and analyze the client’s expectations and needs. But it is emotionally fulfilling to see designs come to life.

Music

Music is another exciting opportunity to pursue. One can learn to play instruments, write songs and melodies, teach others, or make a solo performing career. For one of the most popular positions in this major, secondary or high-school music teacher, the employment rate is 98.1%. So, it is safe to say that there is decent job security. And the job opportunities grow 4% a year, which is the same as the majority of other spheres.

As a high-school music teacher, one can earn $62,870 per year ($41,330-$102,130). Those who work as music directors and composers earn about $52,250 yearly ($23,820-124,390). Musicians and singers have irregular working hours, but the rate is about $31.40 per hour.

So, whether you want to be a solo performer, teacher, or composer, music is a valid major to choose.

Drawing Studies

This section concerns students that will graduate to become fine artists, craft artists, painters, illustrators, and sculptors. It is one of the classic career choices for creatives. One of the benefits of this sphere is that it is very flexible – one can be a self-employed creator, work for a company, or become a teacher.

According to the U.S. BLS, the average annual payment for craft artists is $49,120 ($22,000 – 112,930). Painters, sculptors, and illustrators earn $52,340 per year ($19,570 – $122,900). High school teachers in this sphere have the same rate as music teachers – $62,870.

Cinematography and Video Production

In this program, students learn film and video production, methods of capturing stories, camera work, etc. It is a versatile field as one can work in many industries, from motion picture production to advertising and marketing.

Film and video editors earn about $67,250 annually. Camera operators for film and television get $57,200 per year.

The job outlook for both of these careers is great – it grows by 18% a year, which is much higher than the average 4%. The top-paying industries are, of course, performing arts and motion pictures. Overall, it is a dashing career choice for those who love cinematography.

Industrial Design

Students interested in art, engineering, and business may consider this education. The focus here is on developing the design for products, whether it is a sports car, milk box, or coffee maker. These professionals work in a wide variety of industries, so the job outlook is pretty good.

The salary rate is $71,640 on average, ranging from $41,860 to $118,440.

Entertainment and Media Management in Arts

This might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you are talking about art majors, but it is definitely worth mentioning. The main career path for individuals in this program is to become an agent or business manager for artists, musicians, athletes, or performers. This profession combines knowledge of art with business and marketing management.

The average annual salary for such agents and managers is $75,420. The range is from $35,840 to 190,500.

Fashion Design 

Majoring in fashion and apparel design opens doors to many opportunities, from becoming a designer yourself to working for high-end brands and manufacturers. It has great potential for career growth and earning. But the industry is quite competitive.

Fashion designers earn $75,810 annually, with the range from $38,570 to $146,300.

Another possible position to look for is purchasing manager or agent for shops or enterprises. Such professionals have an average salary of $72,270 annually ($39,810-$112,170).

The only difficulty for those interested in fashion is that the job outlook is in a small decline right now, so the positions are not as easy to land as others in this list.

Drama and Theatre Arts 

Drama and dramatics are some of the traditional degrees one can acquire in arts. This education program is widely available almost everywhere and offers 77% of employment opportunities. It involves not only actors but also directors that are willing to work in theater production.

According to the U.S. BLS, theatrical producers and directors earn $76,400 per year on average. The range is quite wide – from $36,070 being the lowest rate and $184,600 being the highest. The job outlook is growing by 10% a year, which is higher than average. So there is a place for new professionals in this field.

As for theatrical actors, the average rate is $21.88 per hour. The range is from $10.51 to $64.92. It is hard to evaluate the yearly salary as the working hours for actors are irregular. But it is still a decent payment to look for.

Interactive Media Design

This major allows combining the best parts of both worlds – technology and design. Students that graduate with such diplomas can work in the gaming industry, animation, or multimedia industries.

It is not as widespread among colleges and universities as other programs, but it provides great employment prospects. Salary rates vary greatly as in other art-related majors. It depends on many factors, from skills and experience to projects, industry, and location. Another advantage is the possible flexibility of this career – it allows working individually or being a part of a huge company.

Special effects creators and animators get paid $77,700 annually, with the range from $42,390 to $142,750. The number of job opportunities grows at the usual rate of 4%.

Art Director 

This is one of the most profitable occupations for people with degrees in arts. Of course, for a high-level position, it requires not only a college diploma but also at least 5-7 years of experience in the industry.

Art directors work in magazines, television productions, newspapers, or packaging companies. They are responsible for visual style and imagery. One can become an art director with various art-related degrees, like photography, design, or illustration.

The annual payment rate is $97,270 (from $54,530 to $199,250), with the most profitable industries being motion pictures and advertising.

In Summary

Creative careers are essential for almost any industry and offer splendid opportunities for graduates. The annual salary ranges significantly for almost any major. But the average return on investment for all these educational programs are quite good. They also provide fulfilling and flexible employment options.

Author Bio: Hanna Douglas is a professional essay writer at EssayWritingService with a focus on art and literature who has been working in this field since college graduation. She is passionate about visual art and its expressive means both in her career and everyday life.

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But in a time full of darkness, there is a beacon of light for both art lovers and artists as The Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art (mowna) announces their new online Biennial, a museum born out of the pandemic and specifically designed for the digital age. Launching Friday, April 30, 2021, the show will run until September 22, 2021, and features an international pool of artists selected from 44 countries throughout the world.

Co-founders Cari Ann and Joey Zaza created this new online Biennial with the goal of supporting artists by not only showcasing their work, but also helping them make a living. In fact, 70% of the profits earned by the museum through membership sales, store sales, and ticket sales go directly to the artists!

The Museum spent the greater half of January and February selecting artists to participate in their new online Biennial and they are proud to announce they will be supporting over 100 artists on their digital platform with over 20 hours of content to be viewed from images, paintings, drawings, videos, fashion, sculptures, photography, and much more.

Co-founder Joey Zaza says “there’s nowhere else that you can see this collection of art, in this way. There are hours of artwork to explore, play with, and listen to, twenty-four hours a day.”

Featured works include “The Lockdown”, a VR sonic memory installation by Mana Saei, “Planes of resistance” an empathy experiment to explore the world from the vantage point of a black woman using autobiographical acrylic compositions and sound by Linda Rebeiz, a Lebanese-Senegalese artist living in Accra, Ghana, “ERRANDS”, a portrait series documenting our shared shelter-in-place experiences by Zachary Handler of Baltimore, Maryland who will perform 3 slots of portraits per week for the month of May to museum guests, first come, first serve. “Susan” is an interactive augmented/virtual reality and video sculpture web experience by Sue Roh, a Brooklyn-based Korean-American multimedia artist navigating the IRL and URL. “Black Man in America” is a film by Vance Brown and Justina Kamiel Grayman from New York, NY. An interactive new-media installation, “AuxeticBreath”, visualizes the rhythmic respiratory rate, as well as tidal volume of collective human breaths using soft robotics covered with auxetic structures by Hyejun Younof Salzburg, Austria. “PETSCII leaks” by ailadi, an Italian artist whose works have been viewed hundreds of millions of times, are a series of ASCII inspired gif comics. A series of experimental music videos from the opera “The Magic Hummingbird” by Joseph Martin Waters from San Diego, CA will also be shown.

To kick off the Biennial, mowna will host a special screening of the feature doc The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess, by Annie Berman on April 30th at 9 pm Eastern Time. The opening event will also be followed by a Q&A and a first look at the entrance to the Biennial!

Tickets and museum memberships can be purchased on their website, https://www.mowna.org/.

About mowna

mowna seeks to create an ever changing, fun, thoughtful, beautifully designed space to encourage awareness and mindfulness through the exhibition and experience of art and serves the public’s need for art for the highest good of all. By addressing the current needs of not only the artist but also the audience, mowna is breaking barriers within the global art community.

mowna offers the preservation of artworks through an online collection that is an educational resource and archive for its members and its artists, and aims to find, display, and support wild and newfangled art through the incorporation of innovative new technologies and mediums. mowna provides artists with financial compensation for their art and expands awareness of their talents via a sustainable platform where they can flourish.

The post Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art Hosts New Online Biennial appeared first on Art Business News.

Where in the world does creativity thrive the most? Canva looked at four countries selected as some of the “most creative” in the latest ranking of the Global Creativity Index and found that the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand contributed around $1 billion in total last year to their respective governmental art programs, which seek to inspire and encourage art and creativity that in turn further build their economies. 

The data shows that the UK has invested over 300% more government funding of their central arts programs than the US and has increased funding by 11% over the past 10 years. Australia has increased investment into their arts programs by 18% and New Zealand by 33% while the US remains the same as it was 10 years ago with no increase in funding.

This means that federal funding in the US is just $0.47 per capita compared to the UK which is $9.46 per capita, Australia which is $5.2 per capita, and New Zealand which is $5.8 per capita.

However, this has not affected the revenue they have witnessed in their creative industries, with the US creative industry worth a massive $804 billion, followed by the UK at $130.6 billion and Australia and New Zealand at $58.7 billion and $2.4 billion respectively.

Canva also investigated the number of creative art degrees completed in the four countries over the past 10 years and found:

• The number of completed visual and performing arts degrees in the US has risen by 7% since 2006-07
• The number of completed creative arts & design degrees in the UK has risen by 17% over the past 10 years
• The number of completed creative arts degrees in Australia has risen by 21% over the past 10 years
• The number of completed creative arts degrees in New Zealand has dropped by 0.5% since 2009.

These increases mask the threats to creative industries and creativity across the world. Terry Flew, Professor of Creative Industry Studies, Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, says, “If there is a global economic downturn, this will disproportionately affect the creative industries. The challenge of digitalization is strong, too, but I also think that imagination exists to make this work, if digital platforms can be convinced (or compelled if required) to be supportive.”

He also cited policy indifference as one of the largest threats to creative industries and creativity across the world at present: “The resurgence of populist nationalism is also an issue, since cultural and creative exports tend to be connected with a more cosmopolitan mindset and openness to cultures from around the globe. They also face existential threats from the power of digital platforms, and their capacity to control distribution to the detriment of content creators.”

But despite challenges, countries can still thrive, and even without the hefty funding as in the US and the UK. Some regions cannot afford to invest into the creative industries or have various other demanding priorities to address. Professor Flew speaks about the bottom-up nature of some regions, such as Nollywood in Nigeria: “Lack of development is also often tied to problems in state capacity, such as corruption or excessive military spending, which in turn inhibits development. In these regions, CCI development is often bottom-up in nature, for example Nollywood cinema in Nigeria – a key challenge is to “formalize” these often informal sectors while retaining their market dynamism.”

Developing creative regions such as Latin America and Africa does seem to be showing some strong positive movements. The British Council’s report on the Brazilian Creative Economy found that there are one million creative jobs in Brazil and 200,000 creative businesses that account for 2.64% of its GDP—an almost 70% increase in the last decade. This is growing at an annual rate of 4.6% per year–more than double the growth of Brazilian economy overall. Fashion is the leading creative industry, followed by music, film and online media, which are all growing in Brazil. Meanwhile, Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, and the growth of digital and mobile technology and systems means there’s many opportunities for progress powered by creative minds.

As Professor Flew mentions, Nigeria’s booming film industry, named Nollywood, has become the second largest film industry in the world, producing around 1,500 films every year–definitely an impressive number. Over a million people are employed in the industry, making it the country’s largest employer after agriculture, while also making close to $600 million annually, highlighting the wealth of creativity and demand for consuming it across the continent.

Indeed, the worldwide streaming service Netflix, worth billions of dollars, and a juggernaut of creativity and distribution online, has acquired films made in Nollywood and has even been inspired by Africa. They have recently announced the release date of “Queen Sono”, an spy show which will ”showcase an African aesthetic onscreen that the rest of the world has never had a chance to see… exploring the origins of contemporary trends through African eyes and the breadth of ideas that this vast continent has to offer,” according to Dorothy Ghettuba, head of International Originals for Africa at Netflix.

With African art and creativity clearly in high demand, I spoke to the founder of Afripedia, a website where African creatives worldwide can collaborate, create opportunities and inspire the next generation. “While producing the Afripedia series, it became evident that there was a significant group of talents across the continent who had remained underrepresented in the global creative industry,” explains Teddy Goitom, who co-founded the Afripedia project alongside Senay Berha. “Our aim is for Afripedia to serve as the premier search engine to find the best creative talents of African descent, a platform for creative collaborations across Africa and her diaspora, and a global employment pool for future top talents,” says Goitom.

Creativity drives success in every country that supports it. Whether it comes from government sources or independent organisations, investing in arts and culture has a significant beneficial impact on countries as a whole. And with this comes the growth, innovation and fresh ideas that will shape the global society of the future.

About Dan B. Shaw

With many family members working inside the world of art as designers, students and graffiti artists, Shaw has been inspired by artists and creativity his whole life, and remains an interested observer of all things art, using inspiration from all around him to draw on in his current path of digital and marketing.

Canva is a graphic-design and publishing tool for designers and non-designer alike. Canva seeks to inspire creations for use in a wide variety of industries. As advocates for creativity and innovation all over the world, Canva conducted this research to explore, understand, and highlight how important the creative industry is for people everywhere, and what more can be done to open up the doors of creativity for aspiring creatives globally. 

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This year and for the first time ever, Artexpo New York proudly hosts its newest community partner, the American Cancer Society. Featured in a space in Lounge 90 on the Mezzanine, the American Cancer Society will be highlighting the artwork of Audrey Schilt, renown fashion illustrator, artist and breast cancer survivor. We had the opportunity to speak with Audrey and ask her a few questions about her artistic endeavors. We were fascinated with her story and invite you to read about her journey—and visit her at Artexpo New York, April 4—7, 2019.

ABN: When did you first become involved with art?

Audrey: I never thought about becoming involved with art because I have been an artist since I was able to hold a crayon. My mother tells me I was always sketching something. I remember early on I loved sketching houses. Then it was people—I loved portraits. They hung one of my color portraits in the auditorium of my school when I was in the third grade. I remember feeling so proud, yet astonished that anyone would think that much of my art.

It was a natural progression for me to continue my art and for it to propel me forward into high school, college, and onto the world of fashion. I just went where it took me as I did not have the means to choose my own path. I was so lucky to have so many great mentors who opened doors for my work, including Halston and Bergdorf Goodman. I did major ads for Bergdorf for 8 years while sketching hats and working with him on his very first women’s clothing collection. I sketched Jacqueline Kennedy’s pill box hats along with all her other hats. This way, he could see what she looked like without messing her hair up when she was traveling and needed a hat designed. She kept my sketches with her hat collection and they were sold at Sotheby’s along with her hats.

In my early career, I was the youngest fashion illustrator doing work for major stores and a designer like Halston.

ABN: Tell us the evolution of your art from the past until today. What’s different today than what you imagined at the beginning of art becoming your career?

Audrey: In the beginning, there was a substantial need for fashion illustrators. There were agents and representatives who could earn a living working with multiple clients using this art form to sell product. There was a lot of human interaction and meetings, connecting on a more human level. It was easy to form more lasting relationships artistically and emotionally. It was not as isolated as it is today with the advent and use of technology. When speaking to someone, there wasn’t room for misinterpretation—explaining your ideas or your conceptions garnered an immediate response. Today, on the other hand, connecting with people through technology can often cause a breakdown in communication and results.

Eventually, as fashion illustration gave way to photography, I went back to the Fashion Institute of Technology and learned patternmaking and drapery. This added greater depth to my illustrations and my sketches took on a deeper understanding and I grew from an illustrator to a designer. Getting a conceptual artist job at Ralph Lauren planted seeds of love of art and design. It was the perfect place to learn about my talent but also about life.

The universe once again brought me forward to where my art belonged. I never imagined in the beginning that I would be working in the biggest American design house, with the genius of Ralph Lauren. My sketches seemed to inspire. They had personality that brought out more in the presentation of the design. The pattern makers would tell me how inspired they were to work with my sketches because it brought them a sense of self-esteem in their own art form. Ralph also seemed inspired and it triggered many amazing creative ideas such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s memorable pink dress that she wore to the 1999 Academy Awards.

One of my first concept ideas I gave to him in a naïve moment was to do a Polo Bear. This wasn’t a typical idea for a fashion house and his reaction was, of course, “What?” And my response was, “You know like a mascot.” I felt like a fish out of water in a roomful of people that were at this point, laughing. So I shut up and figured that was the end of it. A few days later, he made a deal with Steiff to create the Polo Bear, which has become an icon for his company.

ABN: What inspires your work? Where do your ideas come from? From an artist, a culture, a period of time?

Audrey: People inspire my work. When designing or illustrating a collection, the theme is the direction. The theme could be cultural as in Africa, the West, the French Riviera, or whatever. But it’s the people within that culture that inspire me, especially people from the past—photos, movies, paintings, architectural interiors of their homes, and how they lived. The clothes they wore. Their lifestyles all inspire my artwork. I love watching people, studying them, wondering what they felt. Often I would observe how people behaved during fittings or while putting a look together for a collection. This was the time I became an artist, not a designer. These are the moments I could capture and eventually translate into paintings,

My ideas come from various places depending on what is needed, in any assignment I’m given. The beach, ocean, sand, rocks, and shells often trigger ideas, concepts and paintings. But, ultimately, it’s the people in my art that somehow bring me a sense of joy and love for my art.

ABN: Tell us about the transition from designer and creative director to artist.

Audrey: The transition wasn’t easy. Working with other creatives during my career was very inspiring. Being in the world of Ralph Lauren exposed me to the best fabrics and so many talented people with style, great taste and beauty. Having Ralph Lauren as your mentor was a lesson in editing, good taste, style, authenticity, focus, marketing, branding, and even government.

Believing in yourself and in your art—the choice of colors, style, and subject are all on me now. No feedback, no one to choose one sketch over the other. It’s my responsibility now. It’s allowing my true self to come through and be seen without the support and luxury of having everything at my fingertips. Art is a lonely process. You are in your studio alone. Your thoughts are your own. There’s no bouncing ideas off one another. There’s no one to decide on skin tones, brushstrokes, composition, color, relating one figure to the other. It’s no longer about the garment, it’s about creating an emotion.

Fortunately, I always tried to do this as a creative director of art at Ralph Lauren. My job to inspire, I guess, continues in this transition. There’s always an emotional connection I put into my work but now it’s between myself and my new audience, art lovers, patrons, and others. I’m always working to find this connection.

ABN: What is your involvement and collaboration with American Cancer Society? How did that begin and what success have you had based on the collaboration?

Audrey: I continue to feel very fortunate having been a survivor of breast cancer. There is a very deep history of cancer in both of my parents’ families. That history, and my own bouts with skin cancer, breast cancer, and pre-cervical cancer and the related surgery, radiation, and follow-ups, taught me the emotional torture of never knowing if it was really gone. If it’s going to pop up somewhere else. It’s very scary! Until it happened to me, I never knew the dread attached to it, the strength it takes to remain positive; to have faith, hope, and courage to move forward. To know you’re not alone even though you feel so alone. That’s when I created the image of people walking forward hand in hand with the words “We are one.” It encompasses my love of people from different walks of life moving forward together with the American Cancer Society.

I am proud to say it all began with my son’s connection to the American Cancer Society. Due to his own success in the music industry, he was asked to sit on the board of the American Cancer Society. Of course, this charity and its work resonated with him because of our deep family experience with this disease. When he told me about his position, I joined in to be part of helping in any collaboration with my work.

It’s an honor to be able to use my talent to help the American Cancer Society in saving lives and finding the cure to cancer.

ABN: Goals for today? For the future?

Audrey: My goals for today are to continue to use my art to help others by collaborating with the American Cancer Society to raise funds in the fight against cancer. I plan to work with my son on future art exhibitions and concepts where proceeds from the sale of my art will go to ACS and fund crucial life-saving programs and initiatives.

For my personal goal, I’d liked to create more art that continues to give me the energy to stay on this lifelong path that has been my purpose. To stay responsible to my gift which helped build empires like Polo Ralph Lauren and extend it to other collaborations with people doing good work for good causes; to inspiring other artists, designers, creative thinkers to never give up.

Audrey Schilt is now retired from her position at Ralph Lauren and turning her attention to creating “The Art of the Collection” fine art, evolving the spirit and dedication of an American fashion artist. With an impressive career behind her, Schilt is looking toward the future as a place for a fresh start. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, she says: “There’s something still inside of me, so much I still want to create. This is just the beginning.”

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle.

To make a donation to the American Cancer Society, please click here.

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