Do The Right Thing

Progress on the south gallery. Photo credit: Robert Sebree

I subscribe to many newsletters. Art-centric mailings that tell me about exhibits, curatorial changes, scandals, and sales. It’s overwhelming. Trying to stay on top of everything feels frenetic. And impossible. Historically, the art world has created a fortress of privilege, an elite mecca for those who could afford to play. Yet that is changing, as it should. Perhaps it’s not changing everywhere, but Bader + Simon is working to change the culture around who belongs by opening our doors to both those new to the art world and seasoned supporters.

I often think about something I was told by an unnamed artist who has created an incredible arts organization of their own, when questioning my bi-coastal living situation. What I understand is that I am creating an inclusive arts organization in line with my standards and practices. I am not aiming to be the next ________ or _______. The time that I spend in different cities, traveling, seeing other art, provides insight and inspiration, not to copy but to push against.

Bader + Simon was created to showcase art that tells important stories. Not to sell expensive art that will keep the lights on or line anyone’s pockets. Bader + Simon’s primary mission is to support artists and expand what art can do to bridge communities, shed insights and perspectives, and create dialogue that might not otherwise exist.

Galleries that provide visibility as a means of justice are missing the mark. It takes more than one show to provide the necessary support for a world of inclusion and equity. The aim of the collection at Bader + Simon is to build upon itself in widening the circle of artists whose careers are dedicated to dismantling the biases that have historically existed in traditional galleries.

One such artist in our permanent collection is Sara Bennett, a former public defender and Guggenheim recipient who has documented the lives of women serving life sentences, both inside and outside of prison.  She exemplifies what it means to create activist art. This is the kind of artist we want to both exhibit and support at Bader + Simon, not because it’s the latest trend, but because it’s the right thing to do.

There are galleries that exist for art’s sake alone, and that’s okay. We are not one of those spaces. It’s unlikely, nearly impossible, that there will ever be an exhibit at Bader + Simon that doesn’t have a deeper meaning – a perspective that is imperative to the world in which we are living.

Someone recently asked me if I was proud. Buried in the daily details of construction, curation, and administrative tasks, I have not considered pride. Yet, I am proud of our mission. I am proud of the programming we are creating and the artists we are supporting.  I am proud that we can make a difference, if only for one artist who can shift a visitor’s perspective in our space. And I am proud that we are aiming to work with local schools so that we can also provide insight and education, as well as an introduction, to children who might not have otherwise been exposed to art.

So, when I open my morning inbox and feel that overwhelm by all the things happening in the art world, I only need to remind myself that we’re doing okay.
-trw