The art market is in flux. In the US, some of the most established galleries have closed their doors or reinvented themselves. Here in the UK, the same forces are at play: rising rents, an uncertain economy, shifting collector habits and the endless fight against social media algorithms that bury creative work under a tide of sponsored posts and trending videos.
It’s easy to see this moment as a crisis. But what if it’s actually an opportunity?
For decades, the UK art scene has been defined by a familiar pattern: galleries chasing prime real estate, artists paying high commissions and collectors navigating an opaque world where access was reserved for the few. Add in the escalating cost of fairs and the pressure to maintain constant visibility and you’ve got a system that leaves many emerging artists burned out and financially stretched.
At the same time, collectors (especially younger, digitally native ones) are asking for something different. They want transparency. They want direct relationships with the artists they support. They want to feel part of a community, not a transaction.
The old ways are cracking. And that’s no bad thing.
This moment invites us to rethink how the UK art market can work:
It’s about shifting from survival to sustainability - and from gatekeeping to independence.
This is exactly why we built LettsArt. We wanted to give artists and gallerists a way to step outside the old system and reclaim control.
With LettsArt, your online gallery is yours and with no coding, no design headaches, no middlemen. You set the stage, you set the prices, you own the relationships. Our Art Intelligence tools make the hard parts easier: writing compelling descriptions, creating search-friendly tags, even generating stunning hero images for your homepage.
Collectors can follow your gallery just like subscribing to a YouTube channel. They don’t get funnelled through a marketplace - they connect directly with you. Whether you’re using our free Starter plan or upgrading to Creator Plus for a more professional setup, the focus is the same: putting artists first.
The UK art market’s future doesn’t have to look like its past. We can build something more open, more sustainable, and more artist-led. That means fewer barriers, stronger communities, and artists keeping more of the value they create.
The cracks in the old system are showing. But through them, the future is starting to take shape and it’s one where you don’t need to wait for permission to succeed.
***************************************************
Not using LettsArt? Why not sign up today? It’s powerful software for artists to show, share and sell their art online. Perfect for artists with zero tech skills, our no-code, AI software lets you take control of your online presence and build sustainable success through direct sales.
T o sign up to LettsArt (it’s FREE!) go to www.LettsArt.com .
