Instead of strolling the galleries of New York, London and Paris, you can now discover hot new artists on blogging site Tumblr! I can't wait to be inspired by the submissions...

Online art dealer Artspace has launched a four-week art contest on Tumblr, in which artists will not only have to post eye-catching art, but spur followers to like their work as well. Talent may not be enough. Social networking will count, too.

Artists upload their entries to Tumblr using the #NEXTArtspaceArtist tag. Each week, three semifinalists are selected based on the number of times their entry is reblogged on Tumblr (in which a user reposts the entry on their own blog), liked on Tumblr, shared to another social media site or emailed to a friend. The top 12 will face off in another who-can-get-the-most-votes competition to whittle the group to the final three. However, the winner will be chosen by a panel of professionals.

Photography appears to be a favorite medium among Tumblrs. Week one winners were photographs showing a mountain of abandoned books, a jumping dog and a woman’s sneering face. Week two of the contest has just begun. Cast your vote at Next Artspace Artist on Tumblr.

Artspace is one of several sites that sell fine art online — a movement to bring art to the Internet masses. The art dealer offers a large selection of photography and prints to keep prices accessible to first-time buyers.

“We are the only website where you can put your credit card in and a buy work from world-renowned artists of this caliber from across the globe,” co-founder Catherine Levene said in an interview with Tumblr. But you may need a black card from American Express — Artspace has a selection of original work starting $500,000. A piece by Cy Twombly, known throughout the world for his large-scale graffiti-esque paintings, is available for $2.5 million.

With Tumblr’s younger user base, about 20% are between the ages of 12 and 18. Will the best work rise to the top
or might we end up with a Justin Bieber lithograph?





About The Contest

Why enter the Next Artspace Artist contest?

If you are an artist looking to gain exposure in the art world, this contest is a great opportunity to get discovered. On a weekly basis throughout the submission period, we will select the best artists from the submissions received, and promote those artists across all of our social networks. Each Friday, 3 semi-finalists will be selected based on the Tumblr popular vote along side the Artspace Jury who will also have input. At the end of the submission period, 12 semi-finalists will compete for a cash grand prize of $1,000 and the creation of an Artspace Edition and Private Sale marketing package, pushing the artist directly into the art world limelight, and out to thousands of contemporary art collectors worldwide.

About Artspace

At Artspace, we’re changing the way the world experiences art. Our mission is to help collectors and aspiring collectors discover, learn about, and collect fine art. Our curators collaborate with top museums, galleries and cultural institutions to provide the best collection of contemporary art in the world. We offer limited editions and original works from the most recognized artists to rising stars and make them available for sale online, at affordable prices.

The Artspace team has a deep appreciation for the positive role that artists, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations play in our society. Every single sale of artwork on the site directly supports an artist, institution or non-profit. We’re passionate about art and believe that art is an important and fundamental part of our society. Living with art and engaging with artists should be accessible to everyone, no matter where you live or whom you know.

What is an Artspace Limited Edition?

An Artspace Limited Edition is a limited edition print created exclusively by Artspace in collaboration with artists. The artist retains complete creative control and approval on the product, borders, paper type and edition size, while Artspace handles the production of the work to support the artist’s vision.

Our network of contemporary art collectors

We have a network of over 70,000 art collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide. By participating in this contest, your work will be promoted across Artspace.com, in our dedicated email, and across all Artspace social networks.

How does this contest work?

To enter this contest, all you need to do is submit an example of your art (in JPG form) here along with a brief artist statement (300 words), a link to your online portfolio (or Tumblr), and your contact information. After you’ve submitted, we will notify you by email if you have been chosen as a featured contender.

The Artist Submission Process

The submission process will happen on a weekly basis. To enter, be sure to submit by one of the following dates. Only one entry per artist.

Round 1: Friday, August 31, 2012
Round 2: Friday, September 7, 2012
Round 3: Friday, September 14, 2012
Round 4: Friday, September 21, 2012

If you submit after 5pm EST on each of the above dates, you will be included in the next week’s submissions. After Friday, September 21, 2012 at 5pm EST, no more submissions will be accepted.

The Voting Process

Every Monday will kick-off a new round of voting on the artists selected during the submission rounds. If you have been selected, you will be notified by email at this time and asked to answer an Artist Q&A, which will be used for promotional purposes on Tumblr, Artspace.com, and social media. You may also share your featured post via Tumblr and other social media to encourage your friends and family to vote!

The voting periods are outlined below:

Round 1: Monday, September 3 – Thursday, September 6, 2012
Round 2: Monday, September 10 – Thursday, September 14, 2012
Round 3: Monday, September 17 – Thursday, September 20, 2012
Round 4: Monday, September 24 – Thursday, September 27, 2012

On the Fridays at the end of each voting period, the weekly semi-finalists will be announced and featured on the Next Artspace Artist tumblr and the Tumblr Storyboard. More details on voting can be found here.

The Semi-Finals: Monday, October 1 – Friday, October 5, 2012

At the end of the 4th round voting period, we will have selected a total of 12 semi-finalists. These finalists will be featured on Artspace.com and Artspace members as well as the public will be encouraged to vote for their favorite artists.

Final Round: Monday, October 8 – Friday, October 12, 2012

A panel of art world judges as well as the Artspace executive team will select 1 Grand Prize winner out of the 3 Finalists. The winner will be announced on Friday, October 12, 2012.

What do Artists win?

One Grand Prize Winner will receive:

The creation of an Artspace Limited Edition print based on the artist’s original artwork
Exclusive Private Sale Promotional Event
Press release announcing the winner
Video or Print interview posted on Artspace
Opportunity to collaborate with Artspace Jury
$1,000 cash prize
Additional promotion on a global scale to contemporary art collectors and enthusiasts

Two runners-up will receive:

Inclusion in post-contest press outreach
Opportunity to collaborate with Artspace jury
$250 Artspace eGift card

Weekly contenders and semi-finalists will also be promoted throughout the contest period on Artspace.com, The Next Artspace Artist Tumblr, and various social media channels. For the full contest terms and conditions, please click here.