A Twitter Approach to Art Auctions: 140hours

Gary and Jamie Brant recently invented the world's first Twitter art auction.  The Brants are international art dealers/technologists and wanted an alternative to brick and mortar art galleries because they are having such a hard time surviving in this economic climate.  They call their innovative new business 140hours.  They held the first auction on November 5th, 2009 and sold 21 artworks!  Tres cool for everyone.  They are holding the second auction beginning at 12 noon Eastern Time on November 27th and ending at noon on Saturday November 28th.

What I like about the auction is that the Brant's take only 10% of the sale, artists choose and price the work they want to sell and the auction is open to all artists who want to participate as long as they agree with the rules of the game.  Then, promotions happen through artist and dealer social networks giving everyone access to a broad and growing audience of new viewers.  

If you have a Twitter account already and you want to sell work or buy it go to 140 hours and click the button to follow 140hours.  If you don't yet have a Twitter account, create one and watch the how to video to get the gist of how Twitter works and then search on 140hours in the Twitter search box, click on the link and once at the profile, click on the follow button.

Then, go to the 140hours website by clicking the link in the right column on the 140hours profile page. Once you are on the website, you can scroll down and see the video for an overview of how 140hours works for artists and buyers, scroll a little more to preview artworks and find the documents that you have to sign to participate and what you have to do to bid and monitor the auction.  

Best of luck to Gary and Jamie and to all of you artists and art buyers!

Cynthia DuVal
Producer, Fresh Hot Art
Artist 
Founding Director, Pacific Ethnographic Research Center