ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Art Students as Artists: Market Trend or Folly?

opinion-review · 2026-04-23

Eleanor Heartney examines a market trend of elevating art students to star status, driven by fear of missing the next Picasso. The analysis follows a February roundtable by the U.S. section of the International Association of Art Critics. Heartney critiques how young artists are prematurely marketed, distorting their development.

Key facts

  • Roundtable organized by U.S. section of International Association of Art Critics in February
  • Eleanor Heartney analyzes trend of treating art students as established artists
  • Market driven by fear of missing next Picasso
  • Published in artpress in May 2007
  • Critique of premature marketing of young artists

Entities

Artists

  • Eleanor Heartney

Institutions

  • International Association of Art Critics
  • artpress

Sources