New York artist mentor Paddy Johnson released the inaugural New Visions Report on Wednesday, surveying 1,000 mid-career artists to assess their careers with the same data-driven approach used for other businesses. The report, produced with arts journalist Julia Halperin and Gray Market columnist Tim Schneider, reveals that 75 percent of surveyed artists earn $15,000 or less from their practice, 45 percent earned less in 2025 than in 2024, and 56 percent say debt influences their decisions. Despite these struggles, 73 percent remain optimistic about their careers. The report also found that even the most successful artists—those with gallery representation and museum shows—face debt and lack basic systems like estate plans, while 82 percent want more gallery and museum opportunities but are unsure how to achieve them.
The report matters because it fills a critical gap in art market data, which has traditionally focused on auction houses, galleries, and fairs while ignoring the financial realities of working artists. By systematically documenting the economic pressures, marketing challenges, and lack of professional support systems facing mid-career creators, Johnson’s survey provides a much-needed baseline for understanding artist livelihoods. The findings challenge romanticized notions of artistic success and highlight systemic issues—such as the punishing trade-off between self-promotion and obscurity—that affect career sustainability across the visual arts.