A Network of Ideas: Brokerage and Success Among Visual Artists in South Florida

This study looks at artists’ careers as paths defined by their relative position in a
dynamic professional network where innovation and creativity are highly regarded.
Today, the theoretical and empirical study of networks has demonstrated that in some
professions the individuals’ position in the network can facilitate or constrain their
success. In studies about diffusion of information, for instance, some authors have found
that individuals connected to a greater variety of sources are more creative and perform
better. I explored this idea by looking at a network of visual artists and art institutions in
Miami, and found a positive correlation between position and success, though, not
explained by variety exclusively. In the network, artistic success is a function of
connecting both across artistic categories and a hierarchical system; therefore, in an art
world, creativity and innovation are mediated by key members, who distribute
information and resources through affiliation, prominence and brokerage.