What...No Women of Color in the Visual Art Professions?

I subscribe to Art Business News, a trade publication for art professionals such as gallery directors, art advisors, framers, etc. I enjoy the publication immensely but was highly disappointed in their latest issue which features a tribute to women in the visual arts industry.

Not that a tribute wasn't a good idea. Women are not highlighted enough in this traditional white male dominated industry and so I was happy to see on the front page that they were featuring women in the industry.

My question and concern is.....why is it that NO WOMEN OF AFRICAN AMERICAN, ASIAN OR LATINO DESCENT was featured, not only as art professionals but as artists (a small portion of the publication highlighted visual artists).

This is 2008, right? But, according to this publication, no African American, Asian or Latino women of color has made any kind of noise in this industry in the last 20 years.

YEAH, RIGHT.....

I invite Art Business News (and their readers) to check out the following women who have been heavy in the visual art field, some for more years than those profiled in the article....

Myrtis Bedolla

Myrtis Bedolla, Gallery Director of Galerie Myrtis (recently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland) and CEO of Creative Artisans Art Consultancy (and one of my dear mentors). Ms. Bedolla possess over 20 years of experience as an artist’s representative and in preparing artists for the art market through lectures, workshops, and individual consulting. In addition, Myrtis advises corporate, private and institutional collectors in the acquisition and sell of fine art; and provides corporations, civic and arts organizations with professional curatorial services, lectures and educational programming.

Her curatorial experience includes

• Serving as a member of the curatorial team for the exhibition, At Freedom’s Door: Challenging Slavery in Maryland, featured in 2006, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture and the Maryland Historical Society located in Baltimore, Maryland.I
• Serving as the chief curator for the exhibition Ancient Traditions – Contemporary Forms an exhibition which explored the theory of Atavistic (genetic) Memory and examined the innate similarities found in the shared traditions of honoring family and culture as interpreted through paintings and sculptures created by contemporary artists from Ghana and US-based African American and Ghanaian artists.
• Participating in a project to research and document the utilitarian and ceremonial art forms created by women of the eight ethnic groups of Niger. The art objects collected were featured in the exhibition: The World of Women of Niger mounted at the National Museum of Niger, in Niamey 2005.
• Contributing to Valentine New York, The Magazine, published by Michael Valentine; The International Review of African American Art, published by Hampton University, and online newsletters: ARTINFO and IRAAA (International Review of African American Art) and catalogue essayist for the Tubman Museum. As cultural liaison for the embassies of Ghana, Haiti, Mali, Republic of Georgia and Zimbabwe; Ms. Bedolla uses art to encourage cultural exchange and awareness.

Madeline Murphy Rabb

Madeline Murphy Rabb is president of Murphy Rabb, Inc., a Chicago-based, comprehensive fine art advisory firm founded in 1992. Madeline Rabb has provided guidance to major art collectors across the nation. Murphy Rabb Inc. offers clients the full range of art services to purchase, commission, and display artwork for residences and businesses. Her firm has access to a wide selection of sculpture, drawings, prints, ceramics, textiles, glassworks, photography and more. Madeline Rabb has the ability to design and tailor collections to meet the client’s interests, whether they prefer modern art or traditional art. Rabb is nationally renowned for her expertise in identifying and showcasing artwork created by established, mid-career, and emerging local, national and internationally renowned African American artists.

Rabb has been actively participating in the visual arts world for more than 30 years as a painter and printmaker, arts administrator, jewelry designer and collector. Rabb has served as consultant to curators, architects, interior designers, real estate developers, facility managers, business owners, and individual collectors. Over the last twenty years, Murphy Rabb, Inc. has built national and international relationships with artists, dealers, galleries, museums, auction houses, collectors and, art historians – all in the pursuit of finding a finely crafted work of art or building exquisite collections for her clients.

Throughout her career as a professionally trained artist, arts administrator and business owner, Rabb has been asked to consult with local, state, and national arts organizations and government agencies. For example 1992, she wrote the first Public Art Plan for the Evanston Library. She served on numerous state and national panels and symposia, including Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Public Art Committee, the Illinois Arts Council Grants to Major Cultural Institutions, and numerous National Endowment for the Arts panels and committees. Rabb has given keynote speeches and workshops to the Maryland Institute College of Art, the National Association of Local Arts Organizations, Arts Midwest, Spellman College, the Art Institute of Chicago, New Orleans Museum of Art, and American Visions Foundation at the Smithsonian Institution, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and the Jamaica Art Center. In 1992, she testified before the United States Senate to advocate for the Reauthorization of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Rabb holds the Master of Science Degree in Visual Design from the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. She has served on numerous boards and arts panels including Arts Midwest, the Joseph Jefferson Committee, the Art Institute of Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, the Southside Community Art Center, DuSable Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Woman’s Board, Sculpture Chicago, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council.

Nicole Smith

Nicole Smith is a businesswoman who began her art career in 1971 as curator at the Centre D'Art de Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. For nearly 30 years, she has provided the Chicago art scene with a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic mix of artists, styles and aesthetics.

In 1986, she founded Nicole Gallery, a widely recognized and distinguished art gallery that represents some of the finest Haitian, African American, Africa, Caribbean and World artists. The Gallery also offers one of the most comprehensive permanent collections of Shona sculpture in the United States.

Pamela Brown and Beverly Dawson

Pamela Brown and Beverly Dawson founded ArtJaz Gallery in 1999 in the historic district of Old City, Philadelphia. ArtJaz Gallery’s mission is to provide a venue for exhibiting contemporary fine art by new and emerging Artists of African descent, while building a greater number of collectors through art education and awareness. ArtJaz Gallery, exhibits original paintings, mixed media, sculpture and fine art prints. The name, “ArtJaz”, was created because owners believe that there is a keen connection between visual art and music, especially in reference to Jazz.

ArtJaz Gallery artists are recognized regionally and nationally for their talent and in 2002 Disney Films chose selected paintings to be included in the nationally released film “Snow Dogs.” ArtJaz Gallery strongly believes in participating in the community through various projects.

Art and education are driving forces in our cultural Renaissance and legacy. For example, over the past eight years, ArtJaz Gallery has hosted and partnered with the Lutheran Settlement House in Philadelphia for,” Listen Up: Young Artists Have Something to Say about Domestic Violence”. The young artists’ works are exhibited at the gallery providing an outlet to encourage their creative voice and talents. ArtJaz Gallery has also partnered with such organizations like the United Negro College Fund to promote the arts and aid in funding educational opportunities for our young adults who are the future of our country.

True to their name and connection with music and visual arts, in 2006, ArtJaz Gallery co-published with WD Productions, the book titled “Unveiled, The Photography of Will Downing and Fine Art by New and Emerging African American Artists”. “Unveiled” showcases the photography of Grammy nominated R&B vocalist, Will Downing and seven visual gallery artists which includes paintings, sculpture and mixed media. “Unveiled” was created to provide another avenue for exposure of new and emerging artists to collectors across the country. Also, in 2006 fine art appraisal services were added to ArtJaz Gallery offerings. ArtJaz Gallery is committed to assisting collectors and art enthusiasts alike in starting their fine art collections or expanding their collection.

For owners, Pamela Brown and Beverly Dawson, representing Artists and Art is a passion. Prior to opening ArtJaz Gallery, both worked in regional and national sales and sales management for Healthcare Giant, Johnson and Johnson for 15 years before deciding to open a Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Philadelphia. For many years prior to their careers with Johnson and Johnson and not known to each other, both had entrepreneurial endeavors in art during the early 1980’s.

Utilizing management and life skills learned on the job they are now embarking upon their ninth year in the business of art.

Valerie Cooper

Valerie Cooper is the President and CEO of Picture That, LLC, a full-service cultural fine art consulting company. Established in 2002, Picture That‘s mission is to help organizations promote cultural awareness and diversity through art. In addition to selling and leasing fine art, Picture That provides art advisory services, curates exhibitions and designs graphic art.

Picture That’s clients have included: Cartus (formerly Cendant Mobility), Credit Suisse, DIAGEO, Deloitte, General Electric, GENWORTH Financial, Goldman Sachs, IBM, The Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity & Inclusion Institute, Northeast Utilities, Pitney Bowes, Thompson Hospitality, Travelers and UBS. Picture That is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) by the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC) and the State of Connecticut; and is the 2006 recipient of the Supplier of the Year Award which is given by the CMSDC to companies that have exceeded expectations in service delivery, product quality and overall value.

Prior to establishing her company, Valerie spent 15 years building an impressive career in counterparty risk management on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs.

Valerie is a board member of The Norwalk Community College Foundation, A Better Chance (ABC) of Darien, CT and CTE, Inc. where she chairs the Technology Committee. She is a SCORE Counselor and provides small business coaching. Valerie was the 1999 recipient of The Network Journal’s “25 Influential Black Women in Business” award and was selected as one of eight national experts to participate in Savoy Magazine’s 2001 Diversity in Technology Leadership Summit. She has been featured in national publications, including Columbia Business School’s Hermes Magazine and The Network Journal, where she was the featured cover story for their September 2005 edition.

Valerie is a native of Stamford, CT. Her education includes an MBA from Columbia University Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Morgan State University. She is a member of The National Black MBA Association where she chairs the Entrepreneur Committee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Black Jewels Ladies Golf Association. Fine art-related memberships include: Appraisers Association of America (AAA), Amistad Foundation, Fine Art Collectors Club of Fairfield and Westchester Counties, Millennium Art Salon, New Canaan Society for the Arts, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Friends of the Brandywine Workshop and a Friend of the Studio Museum of Harlem.

There of course are more women of color, including those of Latino and Asian backgrounds that have similar career tracks. And visual artists? That list is equally if not longer than the art business side so no, I won't go there....

I know that Jennifer Dulin Wiley and Michael Wilmering, ABN Editors will not give me some weird set of criteria that locked these ladies out or tell me that their readership did not bring these ladies to their attention or they "couldn't find anyone" with these credentials. They are here and making a statement in visual art and they will not fade into obscurity.

Because women like me will keep them on the radar....