What is the name and homepage of your art history blog?
I publish a monthly newsletter called "Accessible Art" where I write about exhibitions I have seen, studio visits and lectures I have attended, etc.
What or who fired your passion for art history?
Watching my mother's experience seeing Michelangelo's "Pieta" for the first time ever was a magical moment. I remember watching her be moved by the piece--she had a spiritual moment with it and was taken aback by its beauty. That deeply impacted me. Also my Art History AP teacher, Prudy Kohler.
How long have you been blogging about art history?
I taught elementary school for eight years and five years ago moved to Manhattan after going back to get a master's degree in Art History. I switched careers to pursue my passion and it has been a very humbling experience. I work in a gallery and have been blogging for the past four years.
Does your blog have a particular art-historic focus?
It highlights contemporary art, but I also write about museum and gallery shows from all time periods throughout art history. I really try to see as much as I possibly can so that people who don't have the opportunities I have can feel like they have been there with me.
Have you run into any negatives while doing this?
As I have a full-time job and need time to go out and see all of the things I write about, I am limited in the time I have to devote to the writing. I also have had issues with Wordpress (it is very quirky) so I am sometimes limited with what I am able to write. And, then, of course there is the feeling that I haven't seen enough because there is just too much to see. But I do a pretty good job.
What about art history blogging fulfills you?
I have a 9-5 job in a gallery that keeps me very busy but teaching and sharing with people about the art that moves me is my real contribution to trying to make the world a better place. I have many friends who are intimidated by art and the art world. I want them to know that everyone's experience with art is personal, individual, and valid. Art can enhance your life and help you to make sense of this crazy world we live in where we are inundated with tweets, emails and lack of human contact. Art brings us back to what is important--taking time to stop and be with something or someone. Writing about my experiences and opening up the art world to people who might not otherwise know or care about it is my main goal. I also write because art is my life and I can't imagine doing anything else.
Advice
- I would have spent a little more to set up my website with someone who really knew what they were doing and could be a support for me when things go wrong which they inevitably will. Instead I hired a grad student who did a half-ass job and has disappeared so I am left trying to work a lot out on my own.
Shelley Esaak, Art History Guide, says:
We share the same philosophy, Nicole. It's impossible to love art if one is intimidated by the subject -- and a great many people are. This is both wholly understandable (from an outside point of view) and completely unnecessary (Art World, we love you, but you do have a tendency towards exclusionary language). Please keep fighting the good fight and sharing your joy with others!
