3 Questions

A curator, an artist and a gallery owner discuss their careers in art—and how being women affected them—at a panel on Monday at Charlotte Jackson Fine Art. In the meantime, Charlotte Jackson, director at the hosting gallery, hints about what's she plans to discuss.

What first attracted you to a career in art?

I started out as a working artist. I loved it, but it just wasn't what my calling should be. I eventually became involved for the first 10 years in my career in development for museum and foundations. From there, I became involved in the gallery business, and eventually 1988, 1989, I started my own gallery. I knew that it was something that I wanted to do, and I was good at it, I enjoyed it and I loved going to work every day.

What do people need to succeed in the gallery world?

There has to be a passion, and the passion has to be able to overcome the ups and downs of the art market. I mean, we're faced with new distractions and new obstacles constantly in this business, and you really need to have a good vision of what it is you want to do. And in my opinion, you need to have a good, solid program. I also think that you have to have a good head for business. This is not for the faint of heart. In the worst of times and the best of times, it's always challenging.

Why is it so important to have this panel with successful women in the arts?

There are still glass ceilings, and that may even be addressed in this conversation. But for future women, it's important. Because the more we have this conversation, the more our voices are heard for the next generation. When I was first coming into the scene, there was something called 'Guerrilla Girls.' It was something that made me pay attention to what I do in the gallery. I think it's very important for women in the arts to have these kind of dialogues and listen to women with experience and the things we've encountered, so you can say, 'Wow, maybe I won't go down that path, or maybe I can change this.'

Santa Fe Reporter