Chadd Scott arts writer
Let me take you to where the art is! From big city museums to small town galleries, great art is everywhere if you know where to look.
Not long ago, I was an outsider in the art world. I was a sports fanatic with zero arts background writing and talking primarily about college football for the first 25 years of my professional life. Then, a funny thing happened.
About the time I turned 40, I started traveling more regularly to the Western United States with my wife, occasionally popping into the galleries. Having always loved the West, western landscapes and wild animals, I was attracted to the paintings of mountains and canyons and the sculptures of grizzly bears and buffalo. They were beautiful and didn’t require a master’s of fine arts degree to understand.
Western art would be my “gateway drug” to the wider art world.
Thanks to the care and attention given me by a gallerist in Colorado who spent hours with my wife and me looking at great art – 20th century Russian Impressionism mostly – explaining to us how to look and what to look for, I gradually developed an “eye” for art and a passion for learning more.
From Western art to Impressionism, post-Impressionism, Fauvism, German Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Indigenous art, the more I looked, the more I liked, and I rapidly developed an appreciation for all genres of art, diving headlong into books, magazines, YouTube videos, documentaries, podcasts and visiting as many museums and galleries as I could on my travels around America.
I was hooked.
Now, I hope to share my passion for art with you by highlighting the best art to see in person around the country. I’ll tell the stories of the artists and work, explain in simple, non-academic terms why they’re worth your time, and with any luck transfer a small amount of the joy art has given me to you.
Art has changed my life, it has changed my outlook, let me show you how.
Find my other regular arts writing at Forbes.com and “Essential West” online magazine, Western Art Collector magazine, Native American Art magazine, First American Art Magazine, Fodors.com, TravelbyVacationRental.com, BookCottages.com, Travel Writers University and elsewhere.
Hal
January 29, 2022do you send out e mails if so please place me on list Thx Hal
Chadd Scott
January 31, 2022Hal, thanks for your interest, but I do not offer an email newsletter.
MariTango
May 29, 2022So interesting! Thanks for the introduction on how you got hooked on art writing!
Tony Armendariz
April 11, 2023Nice work, Scott. I enjoyed your on the Hispanic Museum Which I hoped to visit in a couple weeks when I travel to NYC but now I’m not so sure. The plans this museum has for the near future as so important. As an Hispanic artist myself, I am grateful for all the exposure! Thank you and keep up the great writing.
Veronica
July 27, 2023This is a wonderful journey to have! Thanks for sharing.
Serena Bocchino
August 8, 2023Dear Scott,
I would like to send you information on my work. I am having a solo exhibition at Ivy Brown Gallery, opening November 1 and running until November 28th. We will have events throughout the month with a special night on November 28th honoring 37 women artists who have influenced and inspired my studio practice from my grandmother and mother to Susan Rothenberg and Lee Krasner. This is the result of a 30 year project that culminated into a book over the pandemic.
Let me know if I may send you further information about my upcoming solo show. My website is : http://www.serenabocchino.com.
Thank you for your terrific article on Lois Dodd, who chose my work out of a large group show at the Trenton City Museum to have my first solo museum show there. She is also one of my Heroes from the above mentioned book: HEROES: Women Artists Who Influence and Inspire.
Thank you,
Serena Bocchino
Chadd Scott
August 9, 2023Feel free to email me details via the “contact” page on this website. Find the tab and it will take you there.
Chris
October 25, 2023Great posst Chad, American artist J.S. Sargent in particular. Appreciate your passion for paintings of that time, as I do.
christophercopeland.com
Anne Wrinkle
August 6, 2024Hi Chad,
Happy Summer and I hope this email finds you well. At the suggestion of Daniel Zillmann, I am eager to share news of a new initiative and event at Santa Fe’s Museum of Indian Art and Culture (MIAC) in collaboration with Santa Fe’s Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAI) debuting later this summer.
I am writing to announce the exciting news that the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, NM will host the grand opening of the JoAnn and Bob Balzer Native Market and Contemporary Art Gallery. The Museum gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Driving the Market: Award Winning Native Contemporary Art, will debut on August 18, 2024.
Given the current interest in the machinations of the art markets and Native arts, and especially in light of the recent national/international focus on Native American artists such as Jeffrey Gibson at the Venice Biennale this summer, and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s retrospective last year at the Whitney, Native Artists now have center stage and a seat at the table, and they have lots to say. I thought that this exhibition would be a perfect story for your readers.
The eagerly awaited new gallery is a vibrant homage to the living history and evolving artistry of contemporary Native artists. Driving the Market will spotlight award-winning artists and pieces from prestigious Native art markets, including those hosted by the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) in Santa Fe, the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, and the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Each art market has its own unique character, offering attendees a chance to experience a wide array of contemporary Native art, meet the artists, and purchase their works directly. These markets are more than just commercial events; they are cultural gatherings where artists collaborate, innovate, and draw inspiration, fostering a dynamic sense of community.
This museum exhibition will broaden the definition of Native art, showcasing pieces in both traditional mediums and cutting-edge styles; none of the works are for sale. Visitors can expect to see a diverse array of art forms, from customary pottery and beadwork to avant-garde fashion and digital art. Additionally, a video wall from award-winning filmmaker Kaela Waldstein of Mountainmover Media, will feature interviews with artists and others, providing personal anecdotes and insights into the significance of art markets and the economic impact on the lives of Native artists.
JoAnn and Bob Balzer, long-time Santa Fe residents, have been bold and staunch supporters of Contemporary Native Art for decades, and their commitment to the artists and art showcased at these the markets have supported the launch and development of numerous Native artists’ careers. They have supported Tony Abeyta, Virgil Ortiz, Patricia Michaels, Cody Sanderson, Liz Wallace, Russell Sanchez, Tammy Garcia and more for many years, and it is through their collecting these works and supporting artists, that many a career has been initiated and sustained. Their vision of spotlighting the phenomenon of the markets themselves promises to shed new perspectives on the creative landscape of contemporary Native art and artists.
If you share your email with me, I can send the full release and invitation to the big event on Thursday, August 15.
We realize we are writing with very short notice, but we want to invite you to be part of the MIAC festivities: There are lots of events to celebrate as Indian Market unfolds in Santa Fe this year:
-We invite you to attend the advance Media Preview for the Exhibition on Friday August 9, at 10 am.
-Please join us for the Preview Party on Thursday, August 15, where you will be able to see the exhibition, as well as Here Now and Always, and join the first night of Get Indigenous Film Festival and the Celebration Party. *** Main Event!
– Saturday, August 17 & Sunday, August 18, SWAIA Indian Market
– Sunday, August 18, Grand opening [details to come]
-View the entire SWAIA Indian Market Schedule here, and we can assist with press passes for these events.
Driving the Market will be on view well into 2025, so there is ample time for reviews to appear.
Santa Fe is ground zero for Contemporary Native Arts, and this week is where and when it all happens and everyone gathers to buy, sell, trade, network and share stories. As you are planning to travel to Santa Fe for the events on assignment, we can provide access to events in collaboration with Audra Rubinstein/SWAIA.
Please reach out to me for any more information you might need, and we can work together to facilitate your coverage. I am working with NM Department of Cultural Affairs, and we would love to have you visit Santa Fe and share all of this good news with your readers.
With my thanks, in advance, for your consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to work together.
Warm regards,
Anne
Anne Wrinkle
AWrinkle Project LLC
505-690-2038
annewrinkle@gmail.com