Six giddy weeks have flown by since we were announced as CULTURED’s co-chief art critics. In that time, each Wednesday, we have published a group of short reviews or an essay reflecting on the New York scene—from Johanna’s first impressions of September’s mad rush of gallery openings to John’s appraisal of a fresh tendency (that of calculated clutter and disarray) in galleries and museums. The response to the Critics’ Table has been tremendous. Again and again, in messages from readers—and in our conversations as we make the rounds, seeing as much art as we possibly can—we hear excitement. We’ve encountered curiosity, optimism, and even relief that CULTURED is making a bold investment in criticism when other publications seem to be in retreat.
We’ve always believed that there is an audience for what we do, and our brief time getting this new endeavor off the ground has affirmed our convictions. Now, our task is to engage and expand that audience, and to find a way to sustain—that is, to pay—other writers who are passionate and serious about contemporary art. We invite you to be one of our first supporters. Subscribe to the Critics’ Table and join us in building a future for lively, timely art criticism.
In the anything-goes New York art world, whose nonstop offerings of both historical exhibitions and fresh experiments are unsurpassed, it would be hubris for the two of us to pose as the experts and arbiters of it all. We’ve already begun to enlist a talented group of critics to add their voices—and their enthusiasms—to our own. Some have many years of experience; others are just getting started.
At the core of our ask today is a simple aim: We want to build a platform to engage and serve the art-viewing public in New York, to create a resource that will help you sift through and identify the shows that may interest you—while offering insight to help you get the most out of them. We know that reviews, organized conveniently by neighborhood, drive the foot traffic—and the discussion—that fuels a healthy art world. With this in mind, we will give equal attention to established artists and newcomers, to exhibitions presented by little-known galleries and major museums, alike. (And we are dreaming big: New York is just the start!)
So, please pull up a seat at the Critics' Table. Support serious thought and writing about art. We can’t wait to continue this conversation with you.
