Watch the Work of Art Season 2 Trailer

The first season of Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, which attempted to transpose the competitive reality format that worked so well for Project Runway and Top Chef to the art world, was a remarkable success. They managed to get all the elements right on their first try: A competent host in China Chow. Two great judges: handsome New York gallery owner Bill Powers and art critic Jerry Saltz, who ran a series of amazing essays on the show for New York magazine's website. It had a compelling cast–particularly Miles, an undeniably talented but petulant young man who would regularly nap for inspiration as his lesser competitors scrambled around the studio in a frenzy. It had a charming and colorful mentor in Simon de Pury. And, lastly, it had an inspired series of challenges. Even the ones that seemed anathema to "high art"–say, one sponsored by Audi–seemed to gel comfortably within the milieu. And the reason for that, of course, is that art is a business, predicated on churning product, building buzz, and creating demand.

So hooray! It's back, and Bravo has released a trailer for Work of Art Season 2 (trailer below). Powers, Saltz, Chow and de Pury are all there, as is executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker, who was apparently moved to tears by one installation. But what about China's uninspired kiss-off phrase: "Your work of art didn't work for us." Will that be back, too? Because I still think, "Please collapse your easel and Van Gogh" is a lot snappier.

Work of Art's second season premieres Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. on Bravo.