Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 1.0The bet on talent
Emerging artists, that is, those with less than ten years of professional career, make up a third of the artists tracked by the Observatory. Their works sell at a median of €1,900.
Buying an emerging artist means supporting a career under construction and accepting a degree of uncertainty. The potential for capital gain exists, but most artists will not see their prices rise lastingly.
This page offers criteria for getting your bearings, administrative precautions and landmarks on the role of galleries and institutions.
Emerging artists in figures
Source: OIMAP Observatory.
The quality signals
Several signals help distinguish a solid career: a recognised degree or training, solo gallery exhibitions, participation in institutional group exhibitions, acquisitions by public collections, and independent reviews.
None of these signals guarantees success, but their accumulation reduces uncertainty. Conversely, prices that rise quickly without exhibitions or reviews are a warning sign: they often reflect short-term speculation.
Administrative precautions
Works by emerging artists are often sold without documents. Yet it is easy to protect yourself: ask for a detailed invoice, a certificate from the artist or the gallery, the edition number for multiples, and a photograph of the work with its signature.
Registration with OIMAP, for €150, opens a work passport that keeps these documents. It eases a resale, an insurance policy or a donation, and protects in case of dispute.
Schools and residencies
Many careers begin in art schools and residencies. Graduation shows are good places to spot talent. Residencies, which host artists for several months, foster decisive meetings with curators and gallery owners.
Some OIMAP member institutions support residency programmes in developing States, in order to open the market to new scenes. These programmes feed the vitality of emerging markets.
Assessing an artist's potential
| Criterion | Favourable signal | Warning signal |
|---|---|---|
| Career | Training and consistent exhibitions | No documented exhibition |
| Gallery | Recognised gallery and lasting support | No gallery, direct sales only |
| Price | Steady progression | Sudden rise |
| Demand | Waiting list | Abundant supply |
| Institutions | Museum acquisitions | No support |
Landmarks
- Degree
First group exhibitions.
- Gallery
First solo exhibition.
- Fairs
Presence at fairs.
- Institutions
Acquisitions by museums.
Buy for love
Buying at a gallery or at the studio
At a gallery
Through a recognised intermediary- Advice and guarantees
- Certificate provided
- Higher price
The safest choice.
At the studio
Directly from the artist- Direct contact
- Lower price
- Documents to require
The most personal choice.
Buying your first emerging artist
- Explore
Visit schools, exhibitions, fairs.
- Talk
Speak with gallery owners and artists.
- Choose
Select a work you like.
- Document
Require an invoice and certificate.
- Register
Open a work passport.
Reflexes of the prudent buyer
A young artist
« My first buyer asked me for a certificate. I did not know how to make one. I learned, and today my whole studio is documented. »
Vocabulary of emerging artists
- Emerging
- Artist with less than ten years of career.
- Waiting list
- Queue of customers for a work.
- Solo exhibition
- Exhibition devoted to a single artist.
- Acquisition
- Purchase by an institution.
Frequently asked questions
What budget should I plan?
From a few hundred euros for a work on paper.
Is it a good investment?
Not necessarily: it is above all a personal commitment.
Is a certificate needed?
Yes, even for a small piece: see registration.
Where can I meet artists?
At fairs and in art schools.
Useful documents
Contacts
Related pages
Contemporary artThe contemporary art market: emerging artists, galleries and fairs, a dynamic and volatile segment.›
GalleriesThe role of galleries in the careers of contemporary artists: representation, sales, advice and ethics.›
Registration of a workEntering a work in the OIMAP Registry: unique number, certified description and work passport, first step of any certification.›
See the galleries
Image credits (16)
- Mirror with Concentric Circles and Linked Arcs (late 300s BCE–50 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug, Adolphe-Félix Cals (1858) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Vessel with Abstract Heads (100 BCE–700 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Offering Table (305–30 BCE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Mirror with Concentric Circles (late 300s BCE–50 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Scenes of Witchcraft: Morning, Salvator Rosa (c. 1645–49) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Silk fragment with scrolling vines, grape leaves, grapes, and birds (1325–50) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Hercules and the Hydra (late 1500s-early 1600s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Courtyard, Alhambra, Charles Clifford (1857–58) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Nini in the Garden (Nini Lopez), Auguste Renoir (1876) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Water Transport Jar (1900s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Prayer Niche (Mihrab) (c. 1500s or mid-1900s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Mirror with Concentric Circles, an Immortal, and Auspicious Animals (25–100 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Jonah Under the Gourd Vine (280–90 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0