New money, new taste: how young collectors are changing the art market

The profile of the art collector has shifted. Beyond seasoned buyers attending in-person auctions, the market is now shaped by a generation raised on Instagram feeds, blockchain ledgers and values rooted in social responsibility. Younger collectors are rewriting the rules of acquisition, and the effects are rippling through the global art economy.

Art for the feed and the future

For many millennial and Gen Z collectors, discovery begins online. Instagram functions as a global showroom where galleries and artists post works in real-time, and collectors can buy with a single message. Social media provides more than just visibility. Platforms like Instagram create instant connections where a Vancouver gallery can share a new piece, receive feedback and begin a conversation with a buyer in Seoul. A Toronto sculptor’s studio update might reach a Berlin collector within minutes, transforming discovery into dialogue.

Artwork of NFTs, money and microcircuits by Andrey Metelev.

More than 60 per cent of younger collectors say they have purchased art online without seeing it in person first. In Vancouver, galleries such as BAF Gallery and Monte Clark have embraced online sales and social media exhibitions. Younger collectors like Alex Chan, who began acquiring works by emerging Canadian artists through Instagram, now split purchases between in-person visits to shows in Mount Pleasant and browsing digital previews on gallery websites. Platforms like Artsy, Saatchi Art, and SuperRare build on this momentum, offering transparency in pricing and provenance that appeals to a generation accustomed to instant information.

NFTs and digital ownership

The rise of NFTs has expanded what it means to collect. Digital artworks, authenticated on the blockchain, have attracted both speculative investors and committed art lovers who see them as a legitimate medium. In 2021, NFT sales hit over 17 billion USD, illustrating both the hype and potential of the format. While the initial surge has slowed, NFTs remain a tool for artists to reach new buyers and for collectors to invest in works that may never exist physically.

Vancouver’s Mad Dog Jones and FVCKRENDER have drawn international attention with NFT releases that combine intricate 3D design with blockchain authentication. Some local collectors have embraced NFTs not just as investments but as a way to support digital artists directly. A few have even hosted private NFT viewing events in Gastown, blending traditional gallery culture with digital innovation.

The Dreamer is a surreal landscape artwork made in Blender 3.6.1 using Cycles by Alex Shuper.

Digital design and AI art

Alongside NFTs, the rise of digital design tools has expanded how art is created and shared. Programs like Blender, Photoshop and Procreate are used by a new generation of artists to experiment with 3D modelling, digital painting and AI-assisted imagery. These works often circulate first on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or Behance before reaching collectors. Vancouver-based digital artists like FVCKRENDER have built global audiences by showcasing hyperreal, computer-generated landscapes online, while many emerging creators use AI programs to blend photography, illustration and machine learning into entirely new aesthetics. For collectors, this opens the door to owning not only traditional works or blockchain-authenticated NFTs but also pieces that exist primarily in the digital space and reflect the technological moment.

Collecting with conscience

Beyond aesthetics and investment potential, this generation is often motivated by ethics. Many seek out works by artists from underrepresented communities or choose to fund projects with environmental or social themes. In 2022, 68 per cent of young high-net-worth collectors stated they consider an artist’s values before buying.

Vancouver’s Or Gallery and Centre A have become key destinations for socially engaged art, drawing younger buyers who want their purchases to reflect personal values. Crowdfunding campaigns have also gained traction. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a striking six-storey mural titled Land Back was realized through a community crowdfunding campaign. Located at 83 West Pender Street, the project brought together more than 35 graffiti artists to paint a large, powerful message of Indigenous strength and resilience.

Organizer Trey Helten explained that the bold phrase, “Land Back,” was chosen through public consultation via a community Facebook group. He noted, “We said we're going to do a large piece here. We want to know what the community wants, and the overwhelming response was we want something Indigenous that shows Indigenous strength and courage.”

Despite logistical challenges such as managing power-line proximity and coordinating lift use over the four-month painting period, the project was completed successfully, symbolizing community unity through collaborative art-making.

A shift in the art economy

Traditional markers of prestige, such as blue-chip galleries and auction house sales, are no longer the only benchmarks of success. Younger buyers are building collections that blend physical and digital works, high-value pieces and affordable editions while engaging directly with artists. This approach challenges long-standing hierarchies, broadens the collector base and encourages diversity in the marketplace.

As these new collectors mature, their habits will likely influence not only what is collected but also how art is exhibited, sold and valued. For artists, galleries and institutions, understanding these shifts is essential. For the next wave of buyers, art is more than an asset. It is a reflection of identity, ethics and the hyper-connected world they navigate every day.

by Preety Komal