Should the art world use affiliate links?

And a list of art-related newsletters on Substack

If you’ve ever had dinner with me, you know there will come a point where I say, “I have an idea!” Followed by potentially a brilliant or implausible pitch. I have more ideas than time.

One idea on my mind lately is affiliate links for art.

answer in the comments

I’ve seen fashion newsletter writers thrive economically in the last few years because of affiliate links. For the unintiated, affiliate links allow writers or influencers to make a small commission any time someone clicks a link and buys a product they’ve recommended. Emily Petrarca does a good breakdown of the system in her newsletter.

There are a myriad of problems with affiliate links, not least that it so aptly articulates late-stage capitalism. Are newsletters genuinely recommending products? Or are they doing so to make the most money? You can make that decision for yourself. My take is that for an influencer or writer to have any lasting power, they need to have a unique perspective that hinges on quality.

Do we want this kind of hawking of products to infiltrate the art world of newsletters? Kinda!

Someone like Laura Reilly of Magasin shapes market trends via her newsletter. I would argue that some of her success hinges on affiliate links—for her to make money on her (mostly free) newsletter, she needs to make it compelling for people to subscribe and convert to purchasing the same clothes as her. It’s part of her business strategy to create strong content that promotes shopping in a certain way. Without the same structure in the art world, there isn’t the same incentive to consistently compel people to collect art.

If affiliate links sound familiar to you, they’re not dissimilar to the analog commission structure of an art consultant but automated. Of course, the difficulty is that while fashion is mostly direct-to-consumer nowadays, art still relies on relationships and 1:1 selling. For the sake of this idea, the art affiliate model could be applied to platforms like Artsy or David Zwirner’s online gallery, Platform. (In an affiliate world, I might get a commission if you click on either link and buy a piece within the next 30 days.)

As much as I have hang-ups of viewing art as solely a commodity, I think there’s a missing part of the market that could result in a more robust, healthier art economy. Writers are an integral part of the art ecosystem with little to no access to the same capital that gallerists, artists, and consultants do. When I wrote for Artforum (online), I think I made $150 an article. Publications that used to pay $1/word have lowered their rates to a mere .75 cents. That’s why I don’t rely on writing anymore to pay bills.

And yet, writers create value that galleries and artists benefit from. When you walk into a gallery, a press package shows the artist’s reviews and clips. Articles are shared with collectors online via email and Instagram. This is because articles and reviews about an artist raise their cultural capital and prove, to collectors, that a piece is worth buying. Ergo, prices rise.

Having another avenue of revenue in the art world means more sales for artists and galleries (good) and more money for writers (also good) and publications (needed). Maybe it would create a whole new role in the art world, a mix between art consultant, influencer, and writer. As I write this, I’m still on the fence—rooted in how “things should be”. A world where writers make a living wage without wading into market dynamics that cause conflicts of interest and a gray area of journalistic ethics. But I’m afraid that world no longer exists, and we must adapt. If fashion writers and publications can figure it out, so can the art world.

What do you think: brilliant or delusional?

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Before I wrote the above, the newsletter sat in my drafts titled “A rising tide ⛵” with links to art newsletters hosted on Substack. Below is a list of all the art newsletters I follow. I am sure I missed a few—I will continue to add to the list as a growing resource of art newsletters you should follow.

General Art Newsletters:

Young Space—Young Space was the first art newsletter I ever subscribed to, and it continues to be one of the best. Kate shares exhibitions worldwide, and compiles residency and grant opportunities for artists.

La Miccia—the best art link roundup newsletter.

Beautiful Eccentrcies—eccentric deepdives not just into art but the world it exists in.

Art Stack—a community for artists to participate and share work.

How to Art—thoughtful musings on art from Emily Van Driessen, who’s from Antwerp. I appreciate a glimpse into the European art scene since most of the people I follow are North American.

The Gray Market—a rare smart newsletter about the art market from Tim Schneiderm based on his columns in Artnet News and The Art Newspaper.

Absolument—lots of Modern Art with a dash of life thrown in. Kelsey Rose Barthés is an Archivist at the Eames Office, which is an impossibly chic position.

Artplace—recent articles include London vs. Paris, Donald Trump’s Curious Relationship with Art, and Christo & Jeanne-Claude: a love story.

Saltzpeter—from the description: “this substack is a place for my more ethereal and philosophical thoughts on art history and criticism. I will also occasionally bitch about the London art world.” Sold!

Pastiche—as the name suggests, Pastiche is a smattering of art, design, and fashion content from the very smart Lauren Vaccaro.

Art + Artists—I’m happy Matthew Israel is back writing this newsletter after taking a break last year. Israel explores what he considers the best of contemporary art based on his intensive experience in the art world.

The Culture Dump—from an art historian’s perspective, this newsletter often has a historical slant, crucial to a strong art foundation.

Making & Meaning—this might be the most well researched newsletter I follow.

The art daddy’s Substack—I just discovered this newsletter as I was compiling this list, so I’m not as familiar—but it seems to me an energetic and actually engaging recap of the art world each week. Gossip girl vibes?

Art Advisors:

Anna Parke Advisory—a weekly highlight of emerging to mid-career contemporary art available (with prices)! Anna Parke often shares some of my favourite artists, I’m a fan.

First Editions—run by Bronwyn Hunter-Shortly, First Editions is an approachable and fun entry into the art market. I especially like it when Bronwyn mixes auction lots with primary market pieces.

Art Advisor—Bethany J.J. Miller does deep dives into various artworks and phenomena, giving the reader tools to better understand the art world.

Rococo Record—Maria Vogel is taking the NYC art world by storm, offering tours and personalized art world experiences. I especially like the “Artworks Under 5k”

Métier—a new newsletter from NYC-based Emily Sussman—I can’t wait to see what she writes about.

Art I Saw and Liked—I appreciate how Casey Monda situates art collecting as an emotional experience—including the highs of finding a piece you must live with and the lows of passing over something you should have collected.

Regional Newsletters:

West Ends—a newsletter about the American West by the inimitable Angella d’Avignon.

Calabrees World—a weekly listing of exhibition openings in Toronto.

Real Art Detroit—dispatches from Detroit and their robust art offerings. It’s on my short list to visit.

Variable West—a great magazine that covers art on the West Coast.

Alex Feim—a dispatch of what Alex Feim sees each week in NYC. I’m always impressed by the quantity of shows (and the quality!) of art in the city.

Curatorial Affairs—a focus on exhibitions in London that make me want to book a trip asap.

welktober—situating Toronto artists and exhibitions in a global context via thoughtful art writing.

Niche Art Newsletters:

Folk Artwork—I love outsider art and this newsletter.

Labor Intensive Art—art is work, and artists are workers. This newsletter is so smart, it should have 10x the subscribers. Recent newsletters include: Dollywood's Mountain Myth-Making; Is ‘Severance’ a Show about Unions?; A List of Labor Artists.

Color Stories—if you don’t know Katy Kelleher’s writing, you’re missing out. Every couple of weeks, she explores the history of a very specific colour.

Katy Hessel—spotlights on women artists.