Cary Hulbert
MFA Recipient
Experimenting with a cooler palette and scale shifts using botanical elements I recently photographed. What does this work and the space inside it make you think of?
Heather and Diana joined the chat
Example work of art that has meaning and space

Thoughtful art discussions.

Download our app to get feedback when you need it the most - it's free

Available now
Get it on the Play Store, requires a beta request.

A critique app built for artists & creatives

Symposia is a professional community for artists and creatives of all levels to connect and network.

Discover art critiques around the world

9:41
Brooklyn, NY
Public
My Network
Example artwork for an art critique of the basic elements if a composition
Liliana
What do you think of the electric red background, is it too bold?
Join
critiquing art for an art museum with a description
Anonymous
What do you think of this painting? Think it’s finished?
Join
artwork elements to critique art
Anonymous
What do you think of this painting? Think it’s finished?
Join

Chime-in on lively conversations

9:41
12
2 hrs
Share
Descriptive terms to describe a work of art with focus
Hey everyone! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this if you have a moment.
Tadahiro
Hey Cary, glad to join the discussion! This piece makes me think of 18th century Japanese Edo period works and also french impressionism
Liliana
Oh, I see that too. Just curious Cary, usually so many of your pieces have depictions of a mythological animal. Was it intentional to leave it out of this piece?
Thanks for joining Maya and Sasha! That's a good point. I wanted to explore the symbolic nature of flowers.
Diana
I see this piece as almost a reflection of an inner journey or struggle. I think adding a mythological creature would take me out of that realm.
Liliana
I noticed you said you used photographs of the botanical elements from your trip. Can you talk about that process a bit more?
Yes, I recently went on a hike in the mountains and photographed some delicate small flowers pushing through the rough and cold cracks in the ground. There was just something so beautiful about their perseverance. I used those as references for the botanicals.
Tadahiro
The leaves from the top don't feel rooted the same way as some of your other recent pieces I saw on your website. Maybe try enlarging the scale of those elements to root them into the foreground.
Diana
That's interesting Sasha. I agree that you can experiment further with scale using more botanic elements. It may create a more immersive experience, almost like peeking through the leaves to get to the mountains in the background.
artist portrait
artist portrait
Chat message

Gather insights automatically

9:41
Critique Outcome
Summary
Info
Contributors
Analysis
Positive
93%
Neutral
38%
Improve
17%
Mixed
32%
86%
Positivity
Score
Top Contributors
View All
artist portrait
13
Bre
artist portrait
7
Tadahiro
artist portrait
7
Diana
artist portrait
6
Ella
Top Comments
View All
Sasha
I do really like this color palette. I know you said you were struggling with it, but it's well balanced. Most of your other pieces benefit from more saturated colors, but a cooler palette demands a bit more of a softer approach.
View the Conversation

Focused on developing real connections

We enable authentic conversation that helps to build impactful relationships.

Artist wanted to describe the principles of art

Talk Straight

Have authentic conversations with other creatives.

Art criticism in groups to describe artwork

Find your people

Bond or network with like-minded artists and creatives.

critique art for major events to describe the shapes

Feel Seen

Share relatable experiences with people who get you and your work.

1

App Features

Control what you see

  • No algorithms

  • Search by location

  • Filter by artist types

Maya

We built a feed that artists control using filters because we believe algorithms drive inequitable behaviors and produce inauthentic content.

Get the app
Showing 27 critiques
art museum work that an artist create
Critique question
Feedback for
Revenue
Join critique
Brooklyn, NY
MEDIUM
Painting
artist
with the intent
to critique art
with a
color scheme
art critique
interpretation
Education
do you know
critique art
principles
Professional Level
general public
paintings
style
Set filters
painting from art schools critiquing art
Question
Join
Description
Feedback on
Composition
Palette
Vibrancy
24 hrs
Critique Room
artist portrait
artist portrait
artist portrait
artist portrait
I noticed you said you used photographs of the botanical elements from your trip. Can you talk about that process a bit?
Good point. I can be a bit bolder with the scale shifts in the piece.
artist portrait
I also see the idea of life cycles in this piece through the interplay of light and dark you created, like the life cycle of the day.
artist portrait
artist portrait
Join the conversation

Thoughful, real-time conversations centered around your art

  • Comments marked by helpfulness

  • Timed discussion

  • Control who enters the room

  • Option to host a critique anonymously, while participants use their real name

Colin

We built a focused space to connect, centered around your art and a question that anchors the conversation.

Get the app

Automated insights only you have access to

  • Organize the conversation by helpfulness

  • AI positivity analysis of comments

  • Discover what critique participants found to be the top advice

Maya

It was important to us to close critiques and evaluate the discussion because we wanted to emulate the format of in-person critiques in the digital space.

Get the app
Most helpful comments
What you found helpful
+8
artist portrait
I do really like this color palette. I know you said you were struggling with it, but it's well balanced.
+5
artist portrait
I also see the idea of life cycles in this piece through the interplay of light and dark you created, like the life cycle of the day.
+3
artist portrait
No I agree. They help make the piece pop. Keeping it subtle like you have it is the right approach
View the conversation
The critique has ended
Positive
Neutral
Improve
Mixed
76%
Positive
2

Community

Discover a community you can trust

Meet a select group of artists who are experts at discussing art and can offer valuable input.

Artist in an art museum talking about the intrinsic value of other art
Cary Hulbert
MFA Recipient
contributions
Helpfulness
Chat
Request critique

Meet artists like you who can help guide you with decisions

  • Get unbiased advice from art experts

  • Be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are just as passionate about art as you are

  • Find new ways to experiment with different styles and techniques that you might not have considered

Colin

We decided on an invite-only model to ensure that trust is built within the community. You'll find a host of artists from all fields, but everyone on our platform is trusted by artists.

Get the app

Build your network by understanding who you're interacting with

  • No following or followers, build your network automatically as you interact

  • AI tone analysis of everyone's comments

  • Discover what everyone found to be the top advice

Maya

We took a more natural approach to build community. Your network grows as you interact with artists. Interactions change all the time, and who you're closest to may differ weekly.

Get the app
Tadahiro Gunji
Brooklyn
Hosted
Participated
Comments
Top connections
artist portrait
Liliana
artist portrait
Diana
artist portrait
Cary
artist portrait
Ella
View interactions
3

Safety

Feel safe to participate and share your real self

We want you to feel comfortable sharing and interacting on Symposia at all times.

Example of various elements that make great art

The community is invite-only.

Artists invite other artists they trust to ensure everyone's safety.

Get the app

Strong community guidelines.

We've written rules to govern interactions within Symposia.

Taking about a work of art and the overall meaning
Read the guidelines
Who can enter critique
MEDIUM
Painting
artist
with the intent
to critique art
with a
color scheme
art critique
interpretation
Education
do you know
critique art
principles
Professional Level
general public
paintings
style
Hosting as
Anonymous
Open To
Public
Private
Artists like me
Customize
Critique duration
4 hours

Control who can enter your critique room

  • Choose what types of artists can enter

  • Host a private room just with trusted friends

  • Anonymous hosting option

  • Set the duration, and end when you're ready

Colin

Trust and safety is the foundation of the app. We want you to feel as comfortable as you wish to be posting works in progress in the app.

Get the app

Sign up for beta access

Join the conversation and be part of a generation of empowered artists

Download on the app store, requires a beta request.Get it on the Play Store, requires a beta request.

FAQ

Please reach out to us with any questions. We would love to hear from you.

Woman using descriptive terms to talk about a work of art
How is this different from other platforms?

The beauty of Critique app is that it centers around real-time conversation, think group chats. You can hop in and out of a critique and contribute to a conversation that is unfolding in real-time. It's all about focusing in on the work itself, the participants can actively look at and evaluate the art piece while in the room.

While you can chat freely, critiques are often centered around a central question that the artist poses, to help guide the discussion and help the artist improve their work.

What's unique about this app?

This app is built for artists. Artists can be invited to join after demonstrating they are working or studying art as a profession.

The space allows artists to connect with other artists in their community, exchange ideas and get feedback on their work in a safe and trusted community.

What happens to images we upload?

The images you post are used stored on our server for internal review and community safety.

We will not use your art for marketing, reposting, or any advertisement without your express written permission.

Our goal is to connect people through conversations, your content in our app is yours and always will be yours.

What's the time limit for a critique?

You can set your chat room for a Critique to last up to 24 hours, the room will close after that set time and no one will have access to the conversation afterward but you.

You may extend the room in any time 5-minute increment, up to 24 hours, until you choose to end the critique.

What is an art critique?

An art critique is a forum wherein artists can call upon their friends, peers, or anyone they like to give feedback on a piece of art they are working on or have completed, or as a place to answer a question for which they would like to get others' opinions.

While that's the traditional structure, our chat rooms in Critique app allow free and open discussion with fellow artists about anything you wish.

Is this app free?

Yes, it is 100% free to use without limits. There are no ads or paywalls. Though we may explore premium features in the future.

Why is this app invite only, are all artists accepted?

We want everyone to feel comfortable sharing their work with trusted artists, so we’re building a curated community of just artists and art enthusiasts

All artists of any career level or field will be sent an invite after they request one

Read More FAQs

Have the app? Decide what's next

How do you envision the future of the Symposia app? Co-build it with us. Vote for a feature that you want to see next.

Share your feedback