They stand for art

EASELS

These adjustable supports hold canvases upright while painters work, often found in studios or plein air settings.

The clue plays on the double meaning of "stand for." While it might first suggest an acronym or abbreviation, here it hints at something that literally holds art upright—like a painter's support. "Easels" are the frames artists use to prop up canvases while working, so they "stand for art" in both a physical and figurative sense. The wordplay is simple but clever, relying on interpreting "stand for" as action rather than symbolism.