How To Make It As An Artist In Latin America

By 03 August, 2020

Being an artist in Latin America is not easy. First, most Latin American countries do not offer incentives or grants to fund arts, leaving them to rely on personal funds to finance their production and art projects. The other financing option that artists have is private funding. Typically, most artists cannot leave their day jobs until they are well-established in the arts industry. As a result, the artists miss out on many opportunities to grow their art.

The other challenge that artists in Latin America face is the high cost of art supplies. Most young artists in Latin America do not have access to all the materials they need. Lack of adequate supplies leads to low-quality brands. Artists in Latin America should note that these are not necessarily disadvantages of being artists in Latin America; they are characteristics of making art in this part of the world. Here are some guidelines for artists in Latin America.

Keep Working

Even if making art in Latin America is hard, keep making more art. Go for the best materials available, and learn from the best. According to successful artists, your airbrushing techniques can make or break your art. Therefore, the importance of investing in great airbrush compressors cannot be overemphasized. The underlying circumstances should not stop you from making art. Most of the cities in Latin America are known internationally for their art scene, making it difficult for artists to enter the traditional gallery circuit. 

Criticism along the way will shape the direction of your art. However, do not deliberately try to force your work to fit the market. It would be best if you first focused on practice to make sure you have a healthy body of work. Make yourself known after mastering your work.

Consider the End Game

It would help if you looked at your art as a potential buyer. One thing that artists do not understand is that when it comes to buying art, buyers don’t go for pieces only to keep them in the house. If you do a high-concept art that portrays man’s devolution, for example, you probably won’t find someone to buy the art. Most modern houses have small walls. Therefore, artists are moving towards the trend of making smaller art that fit on these walls.

Therefore, you should look at your art as if you are a potential buyer. This way, you will know how to tailor your artwork to suit your potential buyers. 

Get a Supportive Team

Having a network of people or a community that loves you and supports your work will help you grow. As much as you are the one who cares the most about your art, it is essential to have a support system and people who will stand by you at every step of the journey. It is possible to succeed without a support system, but it is painful.

The critical aspect of being an artist in Latin America is making art despite the hardships. Artists should use the time after their day jobs to produce art and learn how to create notable pieces with limited supplies. Circumvent the lack of exhibition opportunities in renowned galleries by running your exhibitions. The road to success in the art industry is not straight, but you will eventually make it with perseverance.


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