How is Value Measured in Artworks?
by Debra Keirce
The following article was written by Debra Keirce, a regular contributing author to The BoldBrush Letter.
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How do you measure the value of your art? How do you measure the value of art by other creators?
This is probably THE most complicated question, isn’t it? It’s also why there are so many approaches to selling and marketing what we create.
I just judged a show of over 600 pieces, and I had 54 awards to give out. It sounds like a lot of awards, but it was a juried exhibition, and for the most part, the entrants have been honing their skills for decades. Still, I felt like I had to have good reasons for each piece I chose - not just “It struck me right away.” or “It’s got that x factor.”
The thing is, every judge assigns value differently. Someone else would have had a completely different winners roster. Let’s bring that back home to our own work. What criteria should we use to judge our own work? Are the highest points given to awards, sales, or opportunities in our art careers?
Well, I think anyone who has a firm answer for that question is not being truthful.
But what I CAN do - I can list for you the specific things I consider when assigning value to my own work, and some examples of what has happened for me. Maybe you can add to this list? Maybe there are some things on it that you have not thought of?
Here they are, listed in my personal order of preference from most important to least.
1. Viewer’s Experience
This is often the ultimate goal for many artists—creating something that evokes a deep, personal connection. Art is more than an object. It becomes a mirror for someone else’s memories or emotions. The best is when viewers want to share their experiences with me, the artist.
As an artist: I love to share about how I’ve made admirals cry. It’s been a highlight of my career to have these highly decorated individuals come to me with emotions that start because of what I have painted for them. Each year the Salmagundi Club hosts a ceremony for acceptance of works into the U.S. Coast Guard government collection. Each year I have presented paintings that evoke strong emotions in the coasties, as they relate and recall similar scenes in their careers.
As an art lover: Although I try not to paint art that challenges or discomforts people, art that evokes “negative” emotional reactions can still hold immense worth to me, as a viewer. Even if it’s not tied to traditional notions of beauty or nostalgia, art that makes me feel will always peak my interest.
2. Allegorical Messages and Storytelling
Layered meaning in a piece of art can take time to resonate with the right person. I want my story to outlive the moment of its creation. My goal is for collectors to continue the narrative I started. To do this, the message and intent have to be clear, whether it’s humor, tension, nostalgia, relationships, mood. It often takes time for the viewer to understand what I am trying to convey.
As an artist: This happened with a piece I painted that was a 40” tall, 17th century style still life painting of desserts. There were tarts and cheeses, Roemer glasses, a precariously balanced bone handled knife, a cascading lime peel. Through symbolism, the separate elements tell a story of life’s bounty, fragility, messiness, and ultimate end. If I’d just been composing a pretty image, everything would have been neatly arranged. The collector understood that it wasn’t just a pretty picture. It was a commentary on life, and how we navigate it. It took him several years of thinking and relating, before he decided to make it part of his collection.
As an art lover: I gravitate toward the art that conjures up the most interesting tales for me. I recently purchased a bronze sculpture of a dolphin emerging from the waves triumphant, because it’s not only beautiful, but it reminded me of one of the most amazing moments in my art journey. Now, every morning as I pause to notice that piece of art, sitting on my bedside table, I will add another thought to the affirmation story, and remember why I get up and do what I do each day.
3. Engagement and Feedback
This is such a tricky aspect because, feedback can be hard to decipher or act upon. I’ve noticed that engagement often reveals patterns over time rather than providing clear, immediate answers. Those recurring themes in people’s responses can point toward what makes your work distinctive, even if it’s not always intentional.
Are people going out of their way to let you know how your art impacts them?
As an artist: When a stranger asks what I do and I say “I’m an artist. Do you have a phone? Here’s my website,” I love to watch their face when they first see my work. Usually, what they see is not what they were expecting. I’m not sure what they were expecting, but people from all walks of life often have strong responses to the same works from me. I can do an entire series, and it will be the same 3 out of 10 drawings or paintings that get the most comments. I like to think I learn from those, and try to do more like them in the future. The truth is, I’m often left scratching my head. So while I’m always striving for more feedback, most of the time, I’m not sure what to do with it. Still, I feel like if people are reacting, I’m achieving an important goal.
Take the initiative to share your work and actively engage with people—it’s not just about passive feedback. Inviting conversation deepens the relationship between you, the artist, and the audience, which is a value in itself.
As an art lover: I always try to give positive feedback and likes and follows to the artists I appreciate. If anyone asks me for a critical review of their art, I always sandwich any constructive criticism between compliments. My goal is to support and uplift with my feedback. Not all artists are thick skinned and the internet makes it easy to crush spirits.
4. Opportunities and Experiences
Opportunities that arise from your work are sometimes the most unexpected rewards. What’s particularly inspiring is how much of that value is intangible—connections, adventures, and the privilege of sharing your art with new audiences. These experiences enrich your life and, by extension, your art. Some opportunities also expand the perceived legitimacy of your work. Awards, features, or collaborations build credibility, which can further enhance how your art is valued.
As an artist: Where do I start? I have had SO many amazing moments since 2010 when I became a full time artist. Notably, there’s that time I got to stay at the 5 star Langham Hotel in Boston, because they have 11 of my commissioned works in their bar and fine dining areas. They even have a video of me seeing them installed for the first time, on their website. That felt like a lifetime achievement to me.
But then just getting invited to give art talks at schools and museums and for art societies, because someone saw one of my pieces in a museum permanent collection - or getting to go out to sea for a week on a coast guard cutter because I won the George Grey best in show award one year with COGAP, or being invited back to teach workshops each year at museums and schools in MO, NC, TX. All of these opportunities are beyond my wildest dreams and nothing I could have scripted.
As an author and instructor: When I offer articles, posts, mentoring, demonstrations and workshops to other artists, I always approach these as events where I am sharing. Instructors are always learning from their students. It’s a two way interaction, so I feel like the hierarchy that says I know more than my students is flawed. I know specific things that are working for me. By sharing, I feel I can increase the likelihood of opportunities and experiences happening for others.
5. Personal Growth and Mastery
How does each piece push your skills, explore new techniques, or challenge your creativity? Even if a piece doesn’t sell or gain widespread recognition, its value can lie in what it teaches you as an artist.
As an artist: I think we all create new series and experiment with different presentations, media, etc. throughout our careers. The best example of my own, is what I am doing right now. I was inspired by vintage valentines I saw in a museum, and I’ve embarked on a series I call “HeartFelt” that is trompe l’oeil and looks like pages from a scrapbook. I love that I can weave stories with different elements and evoke a nostalgic feel. I’m doing works in charcoal for half the price of my oil paintings. My growth has led me to this place where I am confidently exploring these new ways of composing and presenting my works. I could not have done this 20 years ago. I’m cashing in now on the value of those decades of learning and observation.
As a collector: I always appreciate when artists I am familiar with push boundaries. The art in my personal collection has the feel of when the artists has mastered much and is now trying something a little bit different. It’s these new adventures in personal growth and mastery that excite me.
6. Sales
The value of art is multi-dimensional and deeply personal. Sales are important, but for me the true measure of success lies in creating work that resonates with people emotionally and intellectually, forming meaningful connections and experiences.
For those who lean more on the “product first” side, sales metrics might be more prominent in measuring success, and that’s fine, too. It depends on the goals of the artist and the type of art they create.
As an artist: In my world, sales are a natural outcome of everything else I do. I am focusing on the why during each sale. My work becomes part of someone’s life story, not just a decoration. It’s something they keep when they downsize.
Much of my approach aligns with the Bold Brush circle of marketing philosophy. I am building relationships first, and then optimizing the sales transactions.
As a collector: For art to become a part of my personal collection, the sales transaction has to be simple. I won’t jump many hurdles to attain a piece. It has to speak to me. I’m not wealthy, so it has to fit my budget. I value skill in the artists I patronize. Art I pay for is impeccably rendered.
I’m sure your criteria for success and for purchases is different from mine. As a creator, which do you value more - the intrinsic value of art (emotional, personal connections, feedback, etc.) or the pragmatic value (sales, opportunities, etc.).
Is there a right answer? What exactly are your measures of success? What do you think are the biggest challenges in sticking to your framework? Are there ever tensions between what you prioritize and what the market or audience seems to value most?
Debra Keirce
www.DebKArt.com
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Hello, Debra. Excellent article, beautifully written and informative! : ) Thank you. I don't usually read the Bold Brush article submissions because I think as most of them and write pretty much to the same messages. I'm glad I read yours, especially since I have been too long out of the art scene since I moved to San Diego, CA. Voted into the la Jolla Art Society and the Art gallery in Balboa Park, circumstances made me pull out. I am ready to get my art moving again, and hope for a place with space to accommodate my art, materials and dreams. Promotion is my current goal. I invite you to visit my site, comments welcomed! www.lbowserfineartstudio111.com I love a good conversation! I have recently published a book on my art journey, mostly articles I wrote for an Artist friend's art networking site now off the web. My book: "To Art or Not To Art" https://www.blurb.ca/user/llbowser -full preview access.
Thank you for reading. Your reply, albeit short, would show you care, as you have beautifully demonstrated. So do I! And that's the whole reason I paint. Love and blessings to you! Lorena Bowser
Hello Debra,
For the last 7 years, I have been a reemerging visual artist, formally from NYC, now in Tucson, AZ, trying to reenter this very complex art world, in a very volatile cultural environment, where any visual message must meet an undefined public, who in most cases lacks depth or comprehension of where we are coming or going.
The "old days" art critics have been replaced by gallerists and art consultants, where the "market" itself dominates the story, perhaps as Wall Street defines the financial trends, in any case, the artist is marginalized as a commodity, losing the voice or the ability to express it's narrative.
Being an abstract artist for more than 6 decades presents a double challenge in demystifying my vision and the "raison d'etre " and, at the same time liberating the viewer to how it impacts emotionally first, something that Jackson Pollack, reflected on too, in the past.
Are we all waiting for AI to define what is in or what is out?
Would love to hear more about how you feel about it.
My warm regards,
Devy Wolff
www.devywolff.com