Inspiring Stories + Events

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons make lemonade. And, there is no doubt 2020 has been full of lemons. Incredibly some people have figured out how to make lemonade too. DesignerCon founder Ben Gorestsky and his dedicated team are those people.

The artist delves into symbolism and human psychology in her new ‘Myth’ series. ‘Myth’ opens Novemeber 14 at Corey Helford Gallery in LA.

DesignerCon avoids the crowd this year with a virtual show. The event expands into the digital realm November 13 through 15.

Music impresario and producer DJ Constantine “Connie” Price’s Soul Picnic music playlist drops 14 sonic gems and music history for your head and heart.

INDIVISIBLE 2020: United We Stand / Divided We Fall opens online October 24. The online art exibition features today’s most exciting voices in political art exploring our values as a country in 2020.

Nigerian artist Arinze Stanley spends hours refining the details in his hyperrealistic charcoal portraits of everyday people. In a statement about his new body of work, Paranormal Portraits, opening virtually October 3 at Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery, Stanley says he uses his art as a tool for social and political activism.

Announcing NOT REAL ART School: Hear top artists and experts teach essential business skills and lessons they don’t teach in art school. NOT REAL ART School offers 5 FREE business lectures all successful artists need to know.

Burning Man 2020: This year it’s not the human petting zoos, fire-breathing dragons, or voluntary dust baths that seem strange—it’s their absence that startles. Art on Fire is a jaw-dropping spectacle that will put ants in your favorite pandemic sweatpants. Gerald Fox’s art-focused film is the perfect antidote to your quarantine blues

Artist Gardens: It may be month five of the unending apocalypse, but my plants look wonderful. As the outside world gets more chaotic and cynical, I have found refuge with my plants and I’m not the only artist feeling this way.

TikTok is just as important to visual art and artists as IG, Facebook, YouTube and other specific art related communities on the Web. Save TikTok!

NOT REAL ART talks to Anne Martin of Sugar Press Art about her creative journey working in the arts, helping artists and starting her own art publishing company.

Artists have always contributed to protest and revolt in ways that capture the dialogue and propel people forward. But Artists may need to do things now as protest that maybe they don’t see as art. So what follows are links to guides prepared by good, solid sources about what to do if you run into trouble as a protester.

Quarantoons by Bill Kieffer

Cheyanne Sauter, Executive Director of Art Share LA, speaks to NOT REAL ART about the challenges of leading a non-profit arts organization during good times and tough times.

An essay — and artworks — from the edge of fashion; a literary and visual creation from artist Beth Abaravich

Artist Rachel O’Donnell shares the importance of finding your tribe in the art world.

At NOT REAL ART, we think art shouldn’t be so serious and humor is a great way to celebrate art and the artists who make it. So, we are teaming up with veteran comic Katie Love to see if comedians can use their funny bones to make art more relatable. So…

Sage legal guidance for artists from Deviant Art’s former chief legal advisor Joshua Wattles.

City of Fish: Quarantoons by Bill Kieffer