In our quest to bring you the most interesting and useful Artful Links, we find ourselves turning often to the same sources. Check out below for some of the best local and national art blogs around — and you can follow all the blogs below (along with The Art League Blog) in your RSS reader by downloading or subscribing to this Google Reader bundle. (Update, July 8: Google Reader has shut down, but you can download the XML file with these 14 subscriptions here. Right-click to download, then upload to an RSS reader of your choice.)
For more helpful links, subscribe to The Art League Blog newsletter here or check out our Artful Resources archive. Also, check out our sidebar “Art League Blogs” over there → for blogs by Art League artists.
What art blogs and websites do you follow? Let us know in the comments! Here are ours, split up by local and non-local focus:
Local art blogs
1. The D.C. Docent
The anonymous Docent describes the blog this way: “I’m a docent. I live in D.C. We have some of the most incredible museums, galleries, exhibits, artists and local art happenings in the U.S. I want to tell you about it.” Be sure to browse the “Eye Candy Monday” archives for some inspiration.
What to read: Posts with quotes
2. Eye Level
Eye Level comes from the Smithsonian American Art Museum — one of those incredible museums the D.C. Docent was talking about. It features interviews with expert curators and conservators, and articles on exhibits like the very cool Nam June Paik retrospective that’s currently open.
What to read: “Mingering Mike: Just For the Record”
3. Pink Noise
The Pink Line Project is Philippa Hughes’s quest to get people talking about DC as an arts city, and Pink Noise is the Pink Line Project blog. With features like the weekend Art Therapy Prescription for arts events, literary picks, and pre-/reviews of exhibits and performances in the DC metro area, the blog goes well beyond visual arts to encapsulate a much bigger scene.
What to read: “Discover DIY Art Spaces in DC”
4. Daily Campello Art News
Local artist and writer Lenny Campello has posted here for almost 10 years now, with news about the local and international arts world, including criticism, events, exhibit opportunities for artists, links to news stories, scam alerts, and photos of his works in progress.
What to read: “Artists and Obamacare”
5. Experiment Station
The Phillips Collection’s blog has lots of contributors who post about exhibits, conservation, installation, events, music, and everything else going on at Phillips. It’s also illustrated by Elizabeth Graeber.
What to read: “Rehousing a Diego Rivera Watercolor”
6. Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association
The TFAA’s blog covers news at the Torpedo Factory, interviews with Factory artists, events and exhibits, and more. It’s the place to keep up with your favorite artists and read the stories behind their work.
What to read: “Diane Tesler at work: postcards from ‘the land of corn and soybeans’”
Non-local art blogs
7. The Abundant Artist
With the motto “dispelling the starving artist myth,” Cory Huff’s website has lots of articles, videos, and other resources on Internet marketing for artists — both how-to’s and best practices. What to do with your email list? What to blog about? How to start your Facebook fan page? The answers are here.
What to read: “How to Create Raving Fans by Telling the Story of Your Art”
8. The Painter’s Keys (a.k.a. Robert Genn’s Twice Weekly Letter)
As much a community as a blog, this site is maintained by Canadian painter Robert Genn. He posts letters twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, sparking lively discussions among his substantial following. There’s lots more to see here, too, including calendars, links, and a huge collection of art quotes.
What to read: “Beyond judgment” and “Current art-pricing trends”
9. Collage of Arts and Sciences
This blog from the Smithsonian Magazine and lead blogger Megan Gambino features fascinating articles on new things artists are doing with or about scientific discoveries. Each post has new ideas to consider and stunning images to admire.
What to read: “With Biodesign, Life is Not Only the Subject of Art, But the Medium Too”
10. Modern Art Notes
Washington-based arts writer Tyler Green keeps this gem of a blog running with posts on art world news and analysis, exhibits, interviews, and original criticism. He also produces out a highly rated podcast with different well-known artists and curators as guests each week. Some of the best posts are his roundups with links to a variety of fascinating news articles. MAN is one of ARTINFO’s many blogs.
What to read: “MAN’s 2012 top ten list”
11. Inside/Out
The Museum of Modern Art’s wide-ranging blog features posts from a large cast of contributors discussing everything to do with the museum: film, events and performances, design, art from their collection and exhibits, and artist interviews. MoMA’s conservators post often about ongoing projects (currently, they’re treating Jackson Pollock canvases) and the blog published a series after Hurricane Sandy on saving wet paintings. Inside/Out is also publishing videos celebrating the centennial of the famous 1913 Armory Show. There’s a huge variety of content to explore.
What to read: “Watching the Wind: Viégas and Wattenberg’s Wind Map”
12. Art21 Blog
You may have seen the Art:21 series on PBS. This blog is another part of the Art21 project, chronicling pretty much everything about contemporary art. With over a dozen contributors and a rotating blogger-in-residence, Art21 Blog brings together artist interviews, art education, original videos, link roundups, and more.
What to read: “Art 2.1: Creating on the Social Web” (a series)
13. Hyperallergic
The “blogazine” Hyperallergic is based in Brooklyn, but the thoughtful news, reviews, and other articles come from contributors nationally and internationally. Check out their longer essays in the Weekend section and their well-curated Hyperallergic LABS on Tumblr.
What to read: “How to Apply to Art School in China”