VOLUME I

Putting together the first volume of Art Rookie has been, quite simply, so much fun. The kind of fun that reminds you why it’s worth starting something like this in the first place even if it pushes you to the limit of your bravery and challenges you in a creative way. Working on Art Rookie has been a big learning curve, but the conversations that I’ve had over the last year have reassured me again and again that this scrappy, chaotic project is worth pursuing.

When I started reaching out to find interviews for this issue, the theme revealed itself pretty quickly: friends and family. Not in the traditional sense, but in the way that community forms around you when you’re just beginning and figuring things out out loud. The people who say “yes” early on, before there’s proof of concept or polish or a clear roadmap, are the ones that help build the foundations.

In this volume, I had the chance to sit down with my long-time friend, contemporary Korean photographer Sunik Kim, long-time aesthetic influence Shiprock Santa Fe gallerist Jed Foutz, and Rebecca Gates, the exhibition coordinator of MCA Denver. Each conversations expanded what it means to participate in the art world. There’s generosity in how they think, make, and share their work, and it’s the kind of perspective that feels especially important at the beginning of a journey.

In addition to these interviews, I also wrote about a piece of art we acquired in 2017 that was researched by a subreddit last year. It’s a story about learning to trust your eye, your taste, and your reasons for saying yes even if the work is not backed up by provenance.

Welcome to Volume I. There will be an article released each week throughout the month of April. Click on the links below to read them and subscribe to the mailing list for updates.

— Elizabeth Royal