Would you like to sponsor our weekly newsletter and reach 8,000+ artists and art lovers? Get in touch.

4 Tips for Getting You and Your Art Noticed

Have you already downloaded our Ultimate Artist Marketing Handbook, Vol. 1? Being our most popular resource, we are diving deeper into how else you can work towards getting you and your art noticed this week!

To lend us a helping hand, we also caught up with Alexander Salnikov, co-founder of leading digital art marketplace, Rarible, on the Crypto Cafe with Randi Zuckerberg podcast, where he shares his unique insights on the best ways to stand out as an artist.

#1: Develop a strong mission or artist statement

Just like how every successful company has a strong mission, you as an artist will need your very own mission or artist statement as well. This is different from writing an artist bio, but is equally, if not more important.

An artist statement essentially conveys, 1) what you are doing, and 2) why you are doing it. When written well, an artist statement not only complements your work, but rather strengthens it.

Having a well-defined mission and artist statement acts as a powerful magnet for your audience. After all, when people can resonate with the values and purpose behind your art, they are more likely to connect with your work on a deeper level.

As an example, check out this part of Mumbot’s artist statement, which explains how her work hopes to inspire courage in the presence of fear.

Need help in getting started with your artist statement? Check out this helpful tutorial.

#2: Set yourself apart through innovation

When you embrace innovative techniques, ideas, and technologies, you breathe fresh life into your work, captivating audiences with your unique perspective. Innovation not only sets you apart but also keeps your art relevant and exciting, ensuring that you remain a trailblazer in the ever-changing world of artistic expression.

Recently, emerging artist, Cam Murdoch asked Alexander on Randi’s podcast the following question, which highlighted the importance of innovation as a way to make a lasting impact.

Alexander answered:

#3: Level up your understanding of curation, and get to know some curators!

Curation has always been important in the art world. Understanding what curation is and following the commentary of leading curators in the space can go a long way in helping you stand out.

In fact, while Alexander believes that blockchain technology is helping to disrupt the traditional art industry, which has historically been filled with many gatekeepers, he still believes in the need of having good curators.

At HUG, we believe in demystifying the curation process. This is why we invite anyone to participate in our Open Call process to experience what it is like to select the best artworks for a specific theme or opportunity. While not technically curating your own exhibit, this allows you to put yourself in the shoes of a curator so you can understand how and why certain works stand out.

Better yet, dive into the minds of leading curators! In our most popular Open Call opportunity yet, patron of the digital arts Cozomo de’ Medici selected 6 artworks to complement existing pieces from The Medici Collection. For each of his selections, Cozomo provided specific curatorial comments to explain his thought process, which you can read here.

Keen to learn more about curation? We recently spoke to Christie’s digital art curator, Sebastian Sanchez, and you can download our takeaways here.

#4: Give back to others

Last but not least, one of the best ways to get you and your art noticed is by giving back to the art community in a way that feels authentic and most doable for you.

Whether it’s Claire Silver’s tutorials, Mumbot’s commitment to Ghost Club, or Beeple’s creation of Beeple Studios in his hometown of Charleston, SC - paying it forward is not only a way of establishing how you want to be remembered, it also makes you feel good!

Not entirely sure how to give back yet? You can also align with organizations that share in your values. In August 2023, Alexander Salnikov publicly declared Rarible’s defense of creator royalties in solidarity with independent artists. This decision garnered the loyalty of an immeasurable number of creators, with artists like Adamtastic deciding to commit future releases to the marketplace.

Minting now and exclusively on Rarible, Adamtastic’s generative collection Empaths stands as a symbol for giving back, reminding observers that we have more in common with others than we may realize.

Closing thoughts

With the Internet and the development of social media, it is much easier to get your work noticed and discovered by others today. This however also makes it harder to stand out.

Instead of worrying too much about the algorithm and other things outside of your control, always remember to focus on things that you can. So long as you are consistent and authentic, the hard work will pay off. Good luck!

In the News

Industry News

• Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri says that he’s still bullish on NFTs despite Instagram having deprioritized their efforts in the digital collectibles space.

• Actor Tom Hanks has warned fans that an ad for a dental plan that appears to use his image is fake and was created using artificial intelligence.

• Meta has introduced 28 new AI chatbots that are alter egos of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and more.

Tools and Resources

• Runway is partnering with Canva to bring the power of AI video generation to Canva users all around the world.

• Adobe is set to announce a new AI-powered photo editing tool at this week’s Adobe Max event that makes it much easier to alter images without prior editing experience.

• OpenSea launched OpenSea Studio, a new no-code tool for minting and storytelling.

Notable Creators

• Yuga Labs and Avant Arte have joined forces to bring CryptoPunks to print in a two-part release that includes a holder-exclusive timed edition and another timed edition that is accessible to all.

• Learn more about Jeremy Booth, a multidisciplinary artist from Louisville, Kentucky, whose work celebrates the Wild West.

• MoMA has acquired Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised", marking the museum's first inclusion of tokenized artwork in its permanent collection.

HUG-exclusive

• 🌈 Calling all queer creators! Meta Queens is awarding $2500 to 5 artists from the LGBTQIA+ community to collaborate on their upcoming collection, whose proceeds go towards supporting queer creators. Learn more and submit here.

• 🪩 Put on your dancing shoes and take your work to Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)! ADE is the largest and most respected meet up for the electronic dance music industry. We are looking to showcase 15 artists at their upcoming event, which will host musicians, DJs, artists, and thought leaders in music and tech. Learn more and submit here.

• 💰 HUG is offering $500 USD grants to two artists each month in exchange for unminted artwork to raffle off to our community. Learn more and meet all our HUG Visionaries here.

Other Open Calls

• HUG Artist Rebecca Rose has curated a list of open calls for organizations like The Met and the Smithsonian. Learn more here.

• The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) is inviting artists to get inspired by their collection. Learn more here.

• imnotArt gallery in Chicago is looking for Halloween-themed art to showcase at their in-person and metaverse galleries. Learn more here.

This Week’s Art Drops

Did you know that these are just 8 of hundreds of art drops on HUG? Get a full list of this week’s art drops from HUG here.