.art domain — meaning, price and how to register

What does .art mean?

The .art extension is a cultural namespace for the art world — painters, illustrators, photographers, galleries, museums, art fairs, collectors and creative studios. It launched in 2017 with backing from figures in the international art scene, positioned as a home for the creative community rather than a generic catch-all. It is administered with Identity Digital’s infrastructure under the dedicated .ART registry.

Its strength is connotation. A name.art domain frames whatever sits behind it as creative work, which is why it has been adopted by both individual artists and major cultural institutions wanting a memorable, on-theme address.

Who uses .art?

Working artists and illustrators, photographers, design studios, galleries and museums, art-fair and biennale organisers, NFT and digital-art projects, art schools and individual collectors building a public portfolio. It is one of the few extensions that reads as an identity statement — using .art says “this is creative work” before any content loads.

.art registration rules and requirements

Registration is effectively open. While the registry frames .art as a community namespace, in practice anyone can register a name with no proof of being a professional artist and no local presence — it is first-come, first-served under standard ICANN rules. The community framing is about positioning and brand fit, not gated eligibility.

How much does a .art cost?

A .art domain typically runs $13–$20 per year, which is reasonable for such a brandable, identity-driven extension. Standard names sit in that band; the registry may classify some short or high-demand strings as premium at a higher price.