During my eighth grade graduation, an a cappella group of four girls sang Boys II Men’s classic ballad “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” their distinctly crisp voices sharper than my memory of their names. That particular eye-watering moment often resurfaces at my pivotal life stages— graduating schools, moving from job to job, leaving states, or burying loved ones. The time has arisen for a new chapter. In my Philadelphia Avant-Garde Studies Consortium (PASC) speech, I reflected on a fateful Saturday morning bringing me to Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof, saying to a friend in an October, 2013, email:
“Thanks for the recommendation! Just wanted to let you know that I went to the Moore College of Art and Design’s Women’s Leadership Conference this past Saturday and met The Artblog ladies – Roberta and Libby. They gave me all the information needed to ‘apply’ to write for their blog. Libby was pretty great! Had the pleasure of her company during the lunch segment.”
It would take me five years to formally apply to contribute. Now for nearly eight years, the artblog has given me the breathing room necessary for my form of activism— writing about marginalized visual artists, filmmakers, and writers and the spaces designed for them. I started off here on an Artblog + The St. Claire’s New Art Writing Challenge Contest honorable mention win for a piece on the Colored Girls Museum. I’ve since sharpened my voice with input from various editors— Imani Roach, Wít Lopez, Morgan Nitz, and cofounder Roberta Fallon— realizing that there’s always room to grow and challenge myself. Although I studied art history and am a multidisciplinary visual artist moving across painting, drawing, and printmaking, art writing has become both a beneficial asset and vital part of my daily practice. I’m grateful to disclose what I have learned and valued as a contributor for the artblog, things that will prepare my future hopes of pursuing and deepening my subject matter.
I define art writing as a tool to express meaningful validity in a work that deserves analyzing beyond the seeing experience. It encourages me to bring together everyday life and inherent knowledge onto the work of creative individuals— past and present. My fondness for art history research and essays bled into this medium, that inquisitive need to learn as much as possible and apply that to writing. Fiction is my true foray into writing, yet investigating another artist’s imagination lends itself to the nonfiction realm. The once private relationship between the viewer and the work is moved onto a greater scale as the viewer breaks the fourth wall by sharing their personal responses with the world. That kind of intimate responsibility instructs us to curate our words accordingly.
At the artblog, I was pushed into reevaluating my sentences, expanding sparse paragraphs, and fact checking information. As a vast reader with a special place reserved for classic literature, I preferred lending prose elements to my writing style. My weakness is that I did not study grammar in college. I appreciated the patience that my editors took with me, demonstrating a gentle helpfulness that said, “you have promise and your work belongs here.” Although I returned to my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, I kept ties with the artblog because I knew their dedicated readers would connect with the impact of phenomenal, resonating creativity, no matter where it occurred. Since then I have written from Dayton about exhibits in Cincinnati, New York, Miami, and elsewhere, and about books, films and video works that inspire commentary.
In addition to reviewing exhibitions calling attention to Augusta Savage, Vivian Browne, Faith Ringgold, and others, I have enjoyed using the artblog’s platform to talk to artists’ regarding their respective practices, or to individuals who knew someone of great historical importance. The Q & A dialogues fostered surprising tidbits to make a story interesting. Makeba Rainey embraced identity and shed light on concerns of gentrification, Chelsey Everest Eiel, former owner of the womxn space The Common Room, related visions of a femme-led realm, Imani Roach voiced her commitment to music and advocating for artists, and the late Betty Blayton’s younger brother Oscar spoke about his artistic sister’s important contributions still in use today. I made connections continuously with people and organizations that found my essays from the site. They reached out and trusted me.
Art writing opened unimaginable doors for me— a woman who traveled extensively either on Greyhound buses or airplanes, demonstrating a willingness to not let distance get in the way of seeing an imperative, seemingly once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. The artblog’s blue press pass was akin to Willy Wonka’s golden ticket— allowing us writers the keys to artful kingdoms including the Whitney, the New Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and even my local Dayton Art Institute. Since being a twice New Art Writing Challenge honorable mention recipient, other awards came along: the Critical Minded for Underrepresented Critics and the Andy Warhol / Creative Capital Arts Writers Grant.
So when I think back on ending eighth grade—that impressive quartet of staged thirteen-year-old girls mourning bittersweet yesterdays— it signifies the profoundness in what comes next. Throughout my time on staff, I attended pizza parties and virtual hangouts that happened on occasion— a way of having the writers know each other. My sole regret was not collaborating enough within our talented community of independent free thinkers. While this is my final piece for the artblog——my journey won’t end here. With pleasant memories of where my art writing was originally nurtured and cared for, I strive to find another such place to continue promoting underrepresented voices across mediums, ensuring that they remain championed. I extend a gracious thank you to all who have read, shared, and commented about my work. It was a blessing to have that validation, that feeling of belonging.
Read more reviews and features by Janyce Denise Glasper on Artblog.
