An emerging artist is usually defined as someone who has passed the status of a hobby artist but is still at the early stages of their career. He is an artist whose goal is to become a professional artist but is yet to be recognized or established as a mid-career artist. He can also be described as an artist considered to be still honing his style and even though he might have enjoyed some recognition from a reputable art critic and generated some press, he is yet to have steady commercial representation from a mainstream gallery. In essence, he has developed an original body of work with a clear identity, mission statement, well-articulated goals and definitive themes and series in his work and has even received accolades that may include awards, prizes and special mention in notable publications and forums, but still has to supplement his income through other means.

The term “emerging artist” is also used as a label to signify a recent art school graduate or an exhibiting school age artist whose career is on an upward trajectory. Places where emerging artists and their works are usually found include: vanity galleries, street galleries, art residency programs, social media platforms, online art platforms that include virtual galleries, college degree art shows, artist grants and award exhibitions, donor funded exhibitions, art corporative galleries and shows, satellite art fairs and art reviews platforms. It is important to note though that an emerging artist is not defined by age because people pursue their callings, and focus on developing their innate gifts and talents at various stages in their life.