For those of us heavily invested in that thing we call the “art world” – from artists to the legions of individuals who, in various ways, support the efforts of artists – it is sometimes difficult to remember that our “world” occupies a tiny, if vital, space within a universe of other concerns. The past few years have been a particularly challenging time for all of us, yet, towards the end of 2010, things felt as if they might be improving, if not in tangible ways, then in a sense that the sword hanging above us may now be tethered by a rope and not a hair.

2010 was a year of editorial expansion and technological advancement at New American Paintings. Early in the year, we FINALLY launched a custom-built web site that offers artists interested in applying to our competitions an easy way to do so. In June, we launched New American Paintings/Blog, which has greatly expanded our ability to connect with our audience and to offer new types of content, including video.

While change is afoot, the core of what we do at New American Paintings – providing a high-quality, printed exposure vehicle for the work of emerging artists – continues to be our central mission. Our focus on artists not yet sanctioned by the art world’s inner circle makes New American Paintings wholly unique among art publications. As I have stated before, our magazine is about talent, not names, which means that any painter has the opportunity to reach our international audience, regardless of educational pedigree, gallery affiliation, or exhibition history.

We are privileged that thousands of emerging artists trust us with their work every year by entering our competitions. I cannot stress to you how honored we are to have this responsibility, and how seriously we take it. To the artists who applied in 2010, thank you for making last year the most exciting, and competitive, that we have ever had.

In order to keep improving New American Paintings and our other products, it is vital that we get feedback from our readers. I invite you to post comments on the blog, or feel free to contact me directly, to tell me what we are doing right and, more importantly, what we can do better.

I want to wish all of you a happy and successful 2011.

Steven Zevitas
Publisher and Editor