Toronto-designed iPad app showcases emerging artists

For the casual fan of the fine arts, discovering new talent can prove a challenge. Unless you're plugged into the gallery scene or have a stable of art blogs bookmarked on your computer, it's difficult to find up and coming artists whose work is within reach financially but is also likely to accrue value as his or her career progresses. An new iPad app designed in Toronto hopes to make the process a whole lot easier. Called Wondereur, it features artists selected by industry experts — like OCAD profs, arts writers and gallery curators, for instance — and gives readers a peek into their process and an opportunity to view and buy their work.

"Today with so much information and all the noise that surrounds us it's difficult for artists to stand out from the crowd," explains co-founder Sophie Perceval in a press release. "It's also often difficult for someone interested in art to discover the great work that's in the making sometimes right next door. We are trying to bridge the gap and bring high-calibre artists to the attention of people who love art and want to collect it but may not know where to find it."

It's a pretty app, to be sure, and while I'm sure the hope is that it functions to sell the artists' work, the content is certainly engaging enough to peruse in the absence of any intention to make a purchase. There's no shortage of online gallery sites nowadays — Circuit Gallery and 20x200 being some of the better ones — but Wondereur occupies a slightly different niche with its in-depth artist profiles, slick layout, and typically higher valued works. The prices won't be for everybody, but would-be collectors and art-lovers in general will want to check this out.