Art books, art festivals in NYC, and art for your home with HUG

Hello friends and followers,

I guess that's it... summer is officially over! There's a chill in the air with these New York City mornings, the kids are officially back to school, and everyone on Team HUG is hard at work with our HUG Shop, dozens of Open Calls, and some exciting happenings with our friends at Lens & the Subjective Art Fair. 

I've always been a big fan of fall, where all the experiences of the summer coalesce into a new season of creativity as we head inside and look to playful holidays like Halloween. While I can't wait to see what art you're making and opportunities you're chasing, here's a bit of what we've got in store for you at HUG this week. 

HUG 100 Photographers to Watch

Last chance to save with your pre-order

We recently had the privilege of finally unveiling the winners of the HUG 100 Photographers to Watch! These 100 picture-perfect photographers were curated from countless submissions by John Knopf and Michael Yamashita, who are award-winning photographers themselves.

The competition was certainly fierce, so congratulations to everyone whose work was selected for this inaugural publication.  If you haven't picked up a copy yet, now is the time. Our publishing partners at Snap Collective are giving a discounted price of $85 USD to anybody who pre-orders their copy by tomorrow, September 10, so reserve your copy ASAP!

🛒 Pre-order & Save

📸 Explore Winners

Subjective Art Festival

September 27-29 - LUME Studios - New York, NY

One of my favorite things about living in NYC is having my hometown be home to so much great art. That's why I'm thrilled to announce our latest partnership with LUME Studios for the upcoming Subjective Art Festival. 

LUME Studios is far and away one of the most pioneering galleries in the city, where dynamic digital art meets onchain innovation. They've invited HUG to curate a series of emerging artists to showcase in their immersive exhibit. As always, everyone is welcome to apply for free! Submissions are open through Sept 11. 

If you're in New York City or willing to make the trip, pick up a ticket for some IRL hugs! Use the code EARLYBIRD2 at check-out for a special discount from yours truly (while supplies last!). 

🎨 Submit Your Art

🎟️ Get Your Ticket

HUG Shop Spotlight

Shop my favorites this week<3

HUG is a home for your art, and every day I'm grateful 30,000 creatives have joined me on this journey to be here for the art. Earlier this summer, we unveiled our latest initiative to support artists - HUG Artist Storefronts! 

I've made it my morning habit to scroll the latest items made with love from HUG Artists, so now you can scroll with me. Here's what I've got my sights set on today:

🛍️ Shop These & More on HUG

...and that's where I leave for you now! I wasn't kidding when I said everyone at HUG, artists and all, was up to a lot this week. This isn't even the half of it 😉

As always, if there's any way we can support you, don't hesitate to reach out! From free and no-fee pen calls, free educational resources with partners like Lens Protocol, to one-of-kind tools to sell art onchain and on-demand, I'm here to help you however you need it. 

Don't be a stranger.

Sending HUGs,

Randi Z