There truly is not one definition the whole of the art marketplace uses. Each organization seems to attempt to define it to meet their needs.

Australia's National Association for the Visual Arts states that an emerging artist "will have practiced as a professional artist continually for less than 5 years."

Most art academies and institutes as well as some  galleries define artists into three categories:

1. Emerging - Starting a career; Post college
2. Mid-Career - Sound body of work; Gallery Representation
   
3. Established - Blue Chip artist, National and International recognition

EAM only sees artists as either Emerging or Blue Chip.

The classification, emerging, has nothing to do with age or a college degree. It has everything to do with an artist developing a sound body of work; developing collectors locally, nationally and internationally; showing work in galleries or non-traditional venues as well as museums.

Emerging artists tend to be more willing push the limits and constraints of socially accepted forms of art.

We believe all artists are still emerging until they attain solid representation in the Blue Chip market as well as earning  regional, national or international name recognition. (Current Blue Chip Examples: Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst)

The Art and Politics of Nicolas Columbo