Ever wondered about the team behind the incredibly popular international art account @ratedmodernart? We were thrilled to have the opportunity to get an exclusive interview to discuss the platform’s mission, how it started, how it is curated, and what to expect from RMA going forward!

When did this platform launch & what is the mission behind Rated Modern Art?

Inspired by Art Basel, we launched @ratedmodernart (RMA) in June of 2015. Our mission has always been to connect people with art. This connection takes many forms from introducing people to emerging artists, to inspiring people to buy an artist’s work, and even inspiring the making of art by reexamining well-known works. RMA serves as an international platform that connects artists, galleries, museums, collectors, and enthusiasts with art. As the audience for RMA continues to grow and more well-known players in the art world take note, running the page has become easier. The feedback and recognition of our audience keeps RMA very tightly focused on continuing to post remarkable modern and contemporary art.

What does your team look for when curating for Rated Modern Art?

We post contemporary artwork from both emerging and established artists from all over the world. When we review submissions, we look for originality, making sure the style is intriguing and really stands out. We also look for quality content, something that stimulates the senses and leads to interesting conversation. We love to see art that challenges our audience and offers a new perspective in seeing the world, a piece that has staying power. We often add "Caption this...!" in our caption because we look for pieces our audience can get inspired by and build an emotional connection.

Who are a few exciting new artists we should know about right now?

Aaah, there are so many! RMA only features artists that we love, so every single artist on the page is a name you should know! We’re very proud of the role that RMA has played in helping many emerging artists gain recognition and, in some cases, have even secured gallery representation after being promoted by us. One of our recent success stories is with an artist @yukikawae, our feature on him went viral and he went from a relatively unknown artist with 1800 followers to 380k followers, and he was even featured on @Instagram’s official page. We’re so proud that RMA was the very first to share his work and love watching all the successes that followed.

What has led to your massive growth and building an audience of over 1 million?

Over the years, we have really learned what content our followers want to see and have been very fortunate in finding artists that meet all those needs. Having leading galleries, museums, art fairs, collectors, and celebrities following our page helps to bring more modern art lovers to our site. For example, when Drake started following RMA a few years ago, we had a massive audience growth that day. And on a more technical side, RMA stays on top of all the new trends and changes within Instagram itself. We learned very quickly that using Instagram Reels can easily make content go viral, and really increase our audience. When one of our Reels videos goes viral, we can receive over 1,000 new followers in a single day! Instagram is currently giving extra prominence to Reels on users’ main feed and Explore page, so it’s definitely a great new tool to build your audience.

Favorite quote about art?

We have many favorites which can also be found under our story highlights under “Inspiration.” Here are a few:

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” Salvador Dali

“Every artist was first an amateur.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Name one thing you would change about the art world.

I wish that the art world was more equitable and inclusionary, right now only a few select artists reap all that the industry has to offer. But I think that RMA and sites like Instagram are doing a lot to subvert the existing paradigms by giving emerging artists a much larger audience for their work. And we believe that sites like ours will continue to play a more important role for young artists, collectors, and art lovers in the future. Art is such an integral part of life, and more and more people need it, especially in times of uncertainty and stress. The RMA page had its highest levels of traffic during the pandemic because people use art to make sense of the world, and create community. Appreciating and collecting art shouldn't be for a chosen few, and that's the beauty of what sites like RMA actually do, they make amazing art accessible to everyone. Our hope is that RMA and other social media sites continue to make the art world a more equitable one!

What can we expect from Rated Modern Art for the rest of this year & beyond?

To keep doing what we do best, connecting people to art. We're also planning on doing more "guest curator takeovers" this year from high-end collectors, gallerists, and influential people in the art community.