The following is my personal interpretation of the three art career levels as loosely defined by the art world..

The “Emerging artist” is relatively unknown despite the artist’s age or body of work. The artist may still be developing a personal style or settling into a specific genre. This artist is actively pursuing art as a career or as an additional source of income. Yet, with no sustainable customer base or record of achievements, this artist usually struggles to sell their work.

The “Mid-career artist” has created a significant body of work after years of mastery and marketing. This artist has either built a fan base large enough to support his/her craft or has aligned with the right people in the industry and is now achieving recognition in the art world. It this point in their career, this artist has achieved financial stability through the craft and no longer requires a normal day job for income.

The “Established artist” is a well-renowned master whose name recognition extends beyond the art world. The artist has most likely transitioned from the original personal and intimate creations to large-scale staff-based productions in order to meet the demand of wealthy investors/collectors. The established artist has the freedom to exercise creative nonchalance and still name his/her price.