Welcome to the February issue of American Art Collector! I am writing this on the last day of 2025 and I am more excited than ever for the outlook of 2026. Having recently come back from Miami Art Week, I can firmly say that contemporary realism is not only the top genre for collectors, but also the style of art that people gravitate to the most. Sure, Rihanna was at Art Basel Miami this year and Leonardo DiCaprio comes every year to see the newest abstract art installations. The most viewed posts from the event on social media were Regular Animals by Mike Winkelmann (Beeple), which I would classify as a kind of realism. It featured robotic dogs with the hyper-realistic heads of famous figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Andy Warhol. The robots beeped and booped, and deposited printed information on the floor of the installation—it was entertaining, imaginative and very clever. You can read more about my Florida adventures at Miami Art Week on Page 92.
In this issue you will find a few changes intended to improve the flow of the magazine and your enjoyment of the content. Gallery previews are now in the front of the magazine directly after our features because these shows are the best way to obtain the hottest new work on the market. Next up, you’ll find our museum previews, filled with more pages of amazing world-class art. Finally, you will find our genre-based Collector’s Focus sections, Art Lover’s destination guides and our art show and event previews. Our Artist Focus pages remain nestled in the back of the issue, a final treat and opportunity for you to discover new artists and the galleries who represents them.
Our podcast, the American Art Collective, continues to grow, recently releasing its 364th episode in just five years—making it the longest-running art podcast in the market. Hosted by Michael Clawson, the show brings the microphone directly to the source, capturing the voices and stories of leading artists featured in our magazine. Two of my must-listen episodes from 2025 include a conversation with Kyle Ma discussing his European painting tour (Episode #326). His work will be on view this month at Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, which we cover on Page 60. And an inspiring episode with Dyanna Hesson, tracing her journey from Tucson, Arizona, into the world of contemporary realism (Episode #356).
With more than 230,000 downloads to date, we thank you—our subscribers and listeners—for being part of our growing American Art Collective community. We look forward to continuing to entertain, educate and inspire you with each episode to come.
Best Regards,
Wendie Martin and Adolfo Castillo
Publishers
Powered by Froala Editor
