“Duke Leopold Wilhelm in his gallery in Brussels”
by David Teniers the Younger

Much as the wine industry is currently transitioning from catering to highbrow Boomers to understanding Millennial-tailored (less exclusive) tastes, the art world is in a stage of reinvention. Once considered elusive and elite, fine art is opening up to the masses in order to attract younger consumers: twenty to thirty-somethings with limited budgets but the penchant to splurge on (certain) luxury items during their own transition into financially independent adulthood.

Internet-savvy Millennials have the means to search across platforms for art that fits their design sense, but new start-ups want the art buying experience to be about more than just a transaction. Developing the idea that art can be an immersive experience, these start-ups aim to educate, excite, and build communities around modern art worlds, connecting enthusiasts with experts to expand knowledge at both ends and create a melting pot of interaction. The worlds of mixed media, canvases, historical artifacts, abstract paintings and sculpture are being intertwined in new ways in one marketplace, brought together by the eclectic tastes and desires of Millennials. The following five start-up efforts are moving the art world into the future by creating platforms that expose art to masses, and embracing the next generation of art collectors.