Who are we?

WAN is a non-profit and online community open to all active, creative individuals, as well as arts appreciators, arts leaders or creative artists including musicians, visual artists, writers, performers, composers, spoken word artists, arts educators, photographers, digital artists, etc. regardless of race, nationality, artistic or philosophic discipline.

Born of out of an online art group on the popular MySpace site, we grew to over 200,000 members in the course of three years. The interaction offered itself to guild-style reviews from a mélange of artists both amateur and established helping each other grow, discover and develop new techniques. As our community expanded, a few of us saw the need to take it a step further and push these talented artists into the art world where many had never ventured.  We incorporated for the first time as a non-profit in New Jersey at the end of 2006, and while our office has moved to Connecticut the goals remain the same.

The mission of the World Artist Network is to promote the Arts and encourage the artistic and intellectual development of the global community by presenting effective local and online programs that support the freedom to develop and create, as well as providing venues for new and established artists to share their experience and works with each other and the general public.

What do we do?

In order to achieve the goals stated in our mission, we have developed a series of programs some which have been working since our inception, and some which are still taking baby steps:

Artists Outreach

We understand that the process of submitting art to galleries can at times be discouraging and taxing. At the World Artist Network we designed a program to help artists become more intimate with the art world.  Our Artist Outreach program is about helping both emerging and established artists find venues to expose their work.

We work with our artists to assist them in writing, editing or polishing their artist’s statement and showing them how to best prepare and present their portfolio.  We then create composite cards with a sample of their pieces and their statement and bring these cards with us to our networking meetings with various galleries to show the work of our talented artists and provide them with exposure opportunities.

If the gallery directors/curators become interested in showing an artist’s works, we act as a liaison to help both parties reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

Please note that as a non-profit the World Artist Network does not participate of the monetary aspect of the transaction. Usually galleries present artists with contracts that are fairly standard for the industry and we may assist both sides in reviewing contracts, and direct them to qualified legal advisers if necessary. WAN does not take a percentage from either the gallery or the artist.

We also assist writers, artisans, and artists from all mediums through our large network of art fairs, publishers and communities encouraged by our mission.

The art world needs fresh artists, innovative ideas and the creativity that fuels the world. Our program is here to support and encourage the exposure of many talented artists from around the world that are looking to share their message.

Please download the following documents and mail the agreement to us so that we can show your work to galleries:

-Submission Guidelines

-Submission Agreement

Open Calls

Through this program we offer both our artists and partnering galleries another opportunity to connect. Many galleries prefer to organize their exhibits through juried shows and open calls. In today's world being able to connect and reach out to people from all over the world is an essential part of growing your art organization (be it a gallery, museum, or community art center) and we can help. Having one of the largest established online art networks, we  can market art events posted in our calendar through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, which can give you the opportunity to reach larger audiences.

If you are looking for ideas for your next exhibition, having a large availability of portfolios and artists from over 120 countries, we can assist you in finding the right artworks to fit your ideas, space and clientele, promote your events, and help you take care of any paperwork if you decide to work with some of our artists. We do not charge any fees to either party.

You can e-mails us your open calls/events or ideas, and we can help you get started. You are also invited to join our website and post open calls directly to our calendar. Joining the site also gives you the benefit of having access to contacting our hundreds of artists directly right from the site. And it only takes a few minutes to setup.

Art in the Community

This program is designed to provide art workshops to inner-city schools and community centers that lack the resources to have these integrated in their regular curriculum. The opportunity to receive arts education is central to the development and preservation of uniquely diverse cultures around the world, and there is not better place to start than home.

When implemented in public schools, art helps raise self-confidence while creating problem solving skills and communication. Unlike math and reading, when children create art they are always successful because there is no right or wrong in art. This gives students a sense of achievement and success, raising their academic self-confidence. Art teaches children to build social and problem-solving skills, and helps them recognize and express their emotions. Art focuses on transforming internal thoughts into external images, words or sounds creating a superior way for children to learn to communicate effectively. Studies show that the cognitive skills and spatial reasoning that art offers are essential for math. The communication of art often helps children become more successful in language classes. When a student becomes involved in an art program, the drop out rate dramatically decreases. Art is an exciting and fun way for students to feel more successful in school.

By working with volunteers  who donate a few hours of their time, our program also helps to get people involved and change the way in which community members, teachers and families see the potential of youth. Working inside schools and community centers, our workshops give children a safe place to learn, grow and explore in an environment where children are treated with care, respect and understanding. Workshops use the mediums of painting, drawing, montage, sculpture, dance, singing/rap, theater, music, reading, writing, gardening and any other practices that allow for creation and self-expression.

We rely on the donation of art supplies for these programs, since we serve low-income areas where schools and centers do not have the capacity to provide art programs or supplies.

Networking Events

It is one of our goals to offer support, solidarity and friendship to developing world artists. Occasionally, we launch events in different areas to promote networking amongst artists as well as to provide peer to peer learning opportunities.

How Can You Get Involved?

If you are an artist and would like to participate of our Outreach Program, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you are interested in donating time or art supplies; or you are a gallery owner, curator, collector or art appreciator and would like to know more about our programs, please contact us at (862) 371-6392 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our thanks to Karneeleus Bobbeaux for the logo design, and to Charles Thompson and Jason van Gumster for their ideas on redesigning the website.