10 Marketplaces Where You Can Buy Art Online
Prints & Wall Art From Local Artists
As we continue to socially distance ourselves from each other and the outside due to COVID-19, many of us are finding new ways to simply succumb to what our homes have to offer. What we once took for granted or found ordinary while indoors, we’re now giving new attention and appreciation. Like that empty wall.👆 Or that one. 👉
When I moved into my apartment, I tried to be deliberate in my decoration. I wanted prints that would make me smirk or leave me awestruck. A talented friend in New York hand-sketched the black-and-white bodies that hang above my living room couch. The silly, suited anthropomorphic beings outside my bathroom, I found during a birthday trip to Spain. And the colorful embroidered portraits in my kitchen are from a Mexico-based textile artist I discovered on Instagram. Even in the quietest moments, there is charm in most corners.
If you’ve found your eyes wandering to the blank spaces in your home, try decorating them with works of art that fulfill the newly parched parts of your day: joy, because viewing art literally triggers dopamine; critical thinking, because if you’re not making the art, you can surely analyze it; and—most importantly—community, because despite the distance, you can still support someone…somewhere.
(And you can spruce up the rest of your space too with these fair trade home decor brands.)
1. Etsy
Best For | Prints, illustrations, paintings, photography
Our Picks | Clare Elsaesser, Ossuarium Floreus, September Wren
Price Range | Varies
Etsy is home to countless handcrafted creations, but this doesn’t just mean trinkets and tchotchkes. Hand-drawn and hand-painted pieces of art are available in a myriad of mediums, including pencil, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and giclée, as well as original photographs that explore architecture, landscapes, lifestyles, and more. With an innumerable amount of offerings, you’re bound to find something you’ll love. As a certified B Corp, all orders from Etsy are sent via carbon-neutral shipping.
Shop Etsy
2. Minted
Best For | Prints, wall murals, limited edition, kids’ art, commissioned pieces
Our Picks | Jess Blazejewski, Morgan Kendall, Theresa Bear
Price Range | $24–$1,000+
Since April 2008, online marketplace Minted has used art and design challenges to discover new talent. The competitions are open for submission and voting, revealing fan-favorite independent creators, and Minted then produces, sells, and pays the winning artist a commission on every sale. The works are also printed on a selection of luxurious stocks, including an FSC-certified paper made from post-consumer waste and manufactured by wind power. Limited editions are available at 350 prints per size and color, and original works can be created for you starting at $75.
Shop Minted
3. Paper Collective
Best For | Prints, photography, kids’ art
Our Picks | Henrik Bülow, Naja Munthe, Norm Architects
Price Range | €19–€124
Paper Collective combines the beliefs of partnership, social responsibility, and sustainability into one seamless process for everyday art lovers. In collaboration with handpicked designers, artists, illustrators, and photographers from around the world, the online marketplace offers prints that are produced locally in Denmark using FSC-marked material. Currently, each purchase helps build a school in rural Nepal. Consider it a one-stop-shop to support both art and the earth. Shipping is available worldwide.
Shop Paper Collective
4. Tappan
Best For | Prints, paintings, photography, drawings, limited edition
Our Picks | Gia Coppola, Alison Cooley, Gabrielle Teschner
Price Range | $15–$25,000
Tappan launched to connect emerging artists to collectors, both aspiring and established. (You can count Jonah Hill among them.) In addition to providing exclusive partnerships, residency programs, and exhibitions to those creators, Tappan’s online platform allows curious consumers access to their coveted works, including original and limited-edition paintings, drawings, and photography, all of which won’t be found anywhere else.
Shop Tappan
5. The Crafted Prints
Best For | Prints, photography, art
Our Picks | “Adansonii,” "Haze," “Deeply Planted”
Price | $10–$54
Based in San Francisco Bay Area, The Crafted Prints offers premium paper goods at an affordable price. And to help reduce waste, all the pieces are made in-house and made to order. Using materials from U.S. and Canadian suppliers, as well as recycled products, buyers can find illustrated art and photography prints, along with planners and stationery. Ten percent of every sale is donated to the fight against human trafficking.
Shop The Crafted Prints
6. Artsy
Best For | Prints, paintings, photography, drawings, fine art
Our Picks | Maria Piessis, Suzanne Laura Kammin, adeoluwa oluwajoba
Price Range | $100–$100,000+
A literal digital museum, Artsy is home to the largest online database of contemporary art. Used by students, collectors, and patrons alike, the site allows you to buy, bid, and make offers on pieces—yes, even those by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama. It also offers educational resources, including articles, interviews, and roundtables for lovers and learners to discover even more about art and design.
Shop Artsy
7. Slowdown Studio
Best For | Prints
Our Picks | Olivia Daisy Coles, Isabelle Feliu, James Daw
Price | $45–$125
Marc Hendrick, an Australia-born, Pasadena-based graphic designer, founded Slowdown Studio. In collaboration with emerging artists from around the world, the shop offers a highly curated collection of prints, puzzles, paper goods, blankets, rugs, and more. And while its mission is to encourage embracing “the slower moments in life,” the pieces are often limited-edition and available for short runs, so if something speaks to your individual aesthetic, get it while you can. All prints are made in LA with FSC-certified paper.
Shop Slowdown Studio
8. Upton Home
Best For | Prints, canvas, sculptures
Our Picks | “Clover,” “Tenere,” “Protea (Sage)”
Price | $75–$185
Built on the belief that beauty should be accessible to all, Upton Home art is affordable without sacrificing quality. Founded by its artist-designer namesake Michael Upton, the Southern California-based design studio provides prints on 100 percent cotton canvas and museum-quality paper, as well as wood and metal sculptures. Full of organic shapes and minimal abstract designs, the pieces are subtly stunning.
Shop Upton Home
9. Blockshop Textiles
Best For | Prints
Our Picks | “Byway,” “Boat," “Zebra”
Price | $120–$600
Los Angeles-based studio Blockshop Textiles wholly embraces the intricate art and tradition of Indian hand block printing. In partnership with a woman-run studio in Jaipur, its abstract and geometric paper prints are produced small scale via a zero-waste process: the designs are carved into wooden blocks, dipped into vegetable or mineral dye, then stamped onto cotton rag paper made from textile production scraps. Founders, artists, and sisters Hopie and Lily Stockman also donate five percent of yearly profits to their community health and empowerment programs in Jaipur.
Shop Blockshop Textiles
10. eBay
Best For | Prints, paintings, photography, posters, vintage art
Our Picks | Boogie Woogie Vintage, Jose Trujillo, Temple of Vintage
Price | Varies
Though known for its vast amount of vintage finds and antique offerings, eBay just as expertly offers art, both original and collectible. Linocut and copper plate works are presented alongside gouache and graphite creations, and they’re all available for bidding, buying, and ultimately bringing a unique edge to your home. We especially love the wide range of vintage posters that make affordable and unique decor.
Shop eBay
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Danielle Cheesman was born and raised in New Jersey, where she lived until moving to Philadelphia to study journalism at Temple University. She has spent her years writing and developing editorial visions for music, art, and lifestyle brands. Now residing in Los Angeles, you can usually find her taking pictures, making playlists, or cuddling her pup. Say hi on Instagram!