Welcome to the Ouderkirk on Art Blog!

It’s 2020, a new year, a new decade, a new independent career, so why not add a new challenge to the mix— a blog!  

Where to start?  

THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO SEE. 

I’ve definitely been guilty of gravitating toward the popular museums and attending only the-most-reviewed exhibitions.  It’s just — dare I say it — easier. The experts have attended all the exhibitions, narrowed down the field and reported back the creme de la creme to us, right?  Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that most of the reviews tend to be of the “known” and mainly “mega” venues, who show the “popular” artists with “on trend” themes.  Are these really the best all the time?  Is the small sample size due to the downsizing of cultural reporting? (I’m sure that doesn’t help!)  So, I decided I would lend my voice to those that I believe have the quality and talent and who — quite frankly — just need and deserve some recognition.   I have zero delusions that I have a “large” voice or an “influencer” level following, but speaking from experience I was (and am) eternally grateful to every visitor who attended my exhibitions, and especially to those who expressed their appreciation.  For me, those were the moments that fueled my soul to fight another day. Knowing that someone from your community values what you’ve created is important.  As a member of the art community, I can certainly be that type of visitor for an artist or fellow curator. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, my reader!

For this inaugural post, I’ve created a mission statement and listed a number of objectives that will guide me for future blog entries. I hope this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Mission Statement

To acknowledge, examine, and value frequently overlooked art venues while charting my particular path in the art world.

Objectives

  • To give exhibition reviews and recognition to lesser-known or under-the-radar artists, galleries, art venues and museums

  • To acknowledge and advocate for inclusiveness whether it be for gender, race, sexual orientation, or people with disabilities 

  • To discover “new” artists and their work, whether they be historical or contemporary

  • To draw attention to art criticism, articles and books that I’m reading

  • To share my journey navigating this complex career path

  • To challenge my research abilities 

  • To continually train my eye

  • To improve my writing 

  • To strengthen my voice

The Ouderkirk Cousins (Jennifer, Alana, Alicia and me) attending my first large-scale exhibition “The Masters: Art Students League Teachers and Their Students” October 2018 at Hirschl and Adler Gallery

Ashley Ouderkirk1 Comment