5 Art Websites that Will Inspire You

Image from Flickr user Nina Matthews Photography

Art has the power to make us think outside the box, ask questions, fascinate and inspire curiosity. Whether the medium is through paint, photography or design, art is something that surrounds us every day and is objective in taste. We have compiled a list of  five websites that will dazzle your eyes, challenge your mind and expose you to many different lenses of artistic endeavors. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, so please feel free to tell us about any art websites that you recommend.
1.
ARTINFO
WHAT An online publication with up to the minute news about art and culture,
featuring reviews and events.
IN DETAIL ARTINFO.com is a creation of Louise Blouin Media and has a variety of
sections ranging from performing arts and fashion to lifestyle and visual arts.
UNIQUE For all the art connoisseurs out there, the site offers an index of sold paintings searchable by artist name, giving insight into the value of an artist at a given time and their marketing trend.

Image: Screenshot from ARTINFO.com

2.

DEVIANTART

WHAT An online social network for artists and art lovers alike that serves as a platform

to exhibit, promote and share work.

IN DETAIL Art is searchable by style (digital, cartoons, traditional etc) or most popular

according to when it is uploaded. Art enthusiasts can leave comments and even rate

how the art made them feel, with emotions ranging from love to neutral. The site is a

great outlet for artists to connect and expose their work.

UNIQUE Art is purchasable on deviantART and provides emerging artists with a way to

share their creations with others. Dubbing themselves as the largest online art

community, deviantART has multitude of groups from all over the world – including

Antarctica!

Image: Screenshot from deviantART

3.

JUXTAPOZ

WHAT An online magazine that covers innovative contemporary artists, and showcases

inventive and daring art that is off the beaten path.

IN DETAIL Juxtapoz is bursting with unconventional creativity and features cool

sections from street art and illustration  to animation and music. The site has a gallery

searchable by artist and topic in which all the pieces featured on Juxtapoz can be

viewed.  

UNIQUE Juxtapoz is translated into Spanish, offering Spanish speaking readers all the

joy that the website has to offer. The site also has a store selling subscriptions of the

print magazine as well as cool accessories and apparel.

Image: Screenshot from Juxtapoz

4.

VIRTUAL COLLECTION OF MASTERPIECES (VCM)

WHAT A project of ASEMUS - the Asia Europe Museum Network that uses

masterpieces to promote mutual understanding and appreciation between Asia and

Europe.

IN DETAIL The site offers many different definitions about what makes a masterpiece, features stories behind the masterpieces and has a section with videos of highly trained

curators sharing their professional opinions on art.  

UNIQUE More than one hundred museums from around the world have taken part in

--> VCM, contributing a selection of 25 masterpieces from their own collections. If you want

a quick culture fix, VCM has a special feature called Masterpiece of the Day which

highlights a chosen piece of work, providing background information from its

acquisition to historical context.  

Image: Screenshot from Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM)

5.

PEANUT BUTTER THOUGHTS

WHAT An online magazine that showcases photography, motion and design.

IN DETAIL New content is featured daily highlighting both acclaimed industry

professionals and talented newcomers. The site contains articles, interviews, reviews

and feature items that all explore the expansive world of creativity.

UNIQUE Feel Good Fridays are hand picked videos that are both stunning and on the

outskirts of the mainstream. Each selected video comes with a detailed explanation and if you’re lucky, an interview with the creators.

Image: Screenshot from Peanut Butter Thoughts