Sharon Louden

the lecture series

New York Academy of Art (NYAA) Professional Practice Lecture Series
2009-2019

View the series below.

Chautauqua Visual Arts
2019-2022

As Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Visual Arts in Western New York between August 2018 and the end of 2022, Sharon curated and organized a lengthy series of lectures by artists and other creative leaders who appeared remotely and in person each summer of 2020-2022. To view these lectures, please visit the Chautauqua Visual Arts page.

Franconia Sculpture Park
2023

As Artistic Director of Franconia Sculpture Park in rural Minnesota, Sharon curated a lecture series of participating artists throughout 2023. For more information on past and upcoming lectures, please visit the Franconia website.

New York Academy of Art (NYAA)

The NYAA Professional Practice Lecture Series consisted of casual conversations designed to provide students with professional advice from experts in the art world and beyond who shared information on many different topics. In 2009, Senior Critic, Sharon Louden, was invited to assume the production and organization of the series and moderated panels with participating guests for ten years. These one-and-a-half hour long conversations and interviews were free and open to the public. Since 2011, most of the panels were recorded, providing tools that continue to inspire and assist NYAA graduate students, alumni, and the interested public to prosper in the art world and other related areas.

The content shared with live audiences reveals extremely useful information not readily accessible in other formats (classrooms, press, online, etc.). The "talk show"-like style was casual and relaxed, if often lively, rigorous, and sometimes controversial. After engaging with and directing panelists for approximately 45 minutes, Sharon opened up the discussion to audience members so that they could ask questions and participate in the dialogue. Finally, attendees were encouraged to meet the panelists at the conclusion of the discussion.

Past luminaries who participated included: Randy Cohen, Deana Haggag, Robert Storr, Hrag Vartanian, Andrianna Campbell, Jillian Steinhauer, Andrew Russeth, Ken Johnson, Carter Foster, Roberta Smith, Jerry Saltz, Caroline Woolard, Jessica Lynne, Paddy Johnson and Laura Hoptman, to name only a few. The program was widely advertised to students and the general public, and most of the panels was recorded on video. With over 50 videos now accessible for free online, the series has become a wealth of information that is being integrated into curricula at art schools across the country.

To view videos of past conversations, please visit NYAA's Vimeo Channel.

NYAA past panels and conversations:

2019

• Heather Darcy Bhandari, “Tips and Advice for Artists” (video)

• Seph Rodney, “Working with Museums”

• Rachel Uffner, “The Gallery/Artist Relationship” (video)

• Andrew Russeth, Jasmine Weber, Jessica Bell Brown and Paddy Johnson, “Conversation with the Critics” (video)

• Nayland Blake, “On Pedagogy: Teaching Today” (video)

• Hrag Vartanian, “A Conversation with Hrag Vartanian, Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief of Hyperallergic” (video)

2018

• Yasmeen Siddiqui and Alpesh Kantilal Patel, “Creating Visual Histories: the Role of Art History Today” (video)

• JiaJia Fei and Antwaun Sargent, “Collaboration, Social Media, and Exchange in the Art World,” (video)

• Robin Cembalest, “Navigating Social Media” (video)

• Kristen Becker, Marianne Boesky Gallery, "The Artist-Gallery Relationship" (video)

• Kay Takeda and Heather Pontonio, "Grants and Foundations - Moderated by Matthew Deleget" (video)

• "A Conversation about WAGE with Lise Soskolne" (video)

• Julia Kunin, Jean Shin, and Jane South, "How Artists Wear Multiple Hats: The Contemporary Artist Today" (video)

2017 

• Yasmeen Siddiqui, Jessica Lynne, Stephanie Cash and Jason Stopa: “A Conversation with the Critics” (video)

• Hunter O'Hanihan, Executive Director, College Art Association (CAA) (video)

• Bartholomew Ryan, Claire Schneider and Mitra Khorasheh: "Independent Curators" (video)

• Matthew Deleget, guest moderator of a conversation with Franklin Boyd: "Legal Matters" (video)

• Kimberly Drew: "Navigating Social Media" (video)

• Hrag Vartanian, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of Hyperallergic and Jason Andrew of Norte Maar: "On Curating" (video)

• Scott Rothkopf, Chief Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art: "A Day in the Life of a Museum Curator" (video)

• Caroline Woolard, Mark Tribe, Deana Haggag, and William Powhida: "Activism & Culture Production" (video)

2016 

• A conversation with Nato Thompson, Artistic Director at Creative Time (video)

• A conversation with Critics: Jillian Steinhauer, Katy Diamond Hamer, Andrianna Campbell and Julia Wolkoff (video)

• A conversation with Kathy Grayson, Owner of The Hole (video)

• Helen Toomer in conversation with Matthew Deleget: "Art Fairs" (video)

• Allison Hawkins and Shervone Neckles from the Joan Mitchell Foundation in conversation with Matthew Deleget: "The Nomination Granting Process" (video)

• Tim Doud and Zoe Charlton: "Pedagogy and Collaboration" (video)

• Harry Philbrick and Jodi Throckmorton from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Museum: "The Director and The Curator" (video)

• Laura Skoler, collector and board member of the New Museum: "The Collector" (video)

 2015 

• Leslie Gerber-Seid, Lacy Davisson Doyle, and Emily Santagelo: "A Conversation with the Consultant." (video)

• Sam Trioli and Angelina Gualdoni: "Artist-owned and Directed Galleries," moderated by Matthew Deleget (video)

• Andrew Russeth, Carol Kino, Benjamin Sutton and Ben Davis: "A Conversation with the Critics" (video)

• Steven Henry, Director, Paula Cooper Gallery: "A Conversation with Steven Henry"

• Meredith Rosen and Allegra LaViola of Sargent's Daughters (video)

 2014 

• Randy Cohen interviews Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith as a part of his Person, Place, Thing Podcast program (podcast)

• Kathleen Hays, Host of the "Hays Advantage" on Bloomberg Radio and Kelly Crow, Staff Reporter covering the art market for The Wall Street Journal: "Art as a Commodity: Art In The Market Place" (video)

• Laura Hoptman, Curator, Museum of Modern Art: "Working with Museums - Meet the Curator"(video)

• Paul Laster, artist, writer, editor, independent curator, and lecturer; Deborah Solomon, art critic, journalist and biographer; and Christian Viveros-Faune, writer and curator: "A Conversation with the Critics"

• Matthew Deleget, guest moderator of a conversation with Lisa Dent, Director, Resources & Award Programs, Creative Capital; and Courtney Harge, Fiscal Sponsorship, New York Foundation for the Arts: "Grants and Fiscal Sponsorship" (video)

• Cameron Gainer (The Third Rail, Minneapolis); Duncan MacKenzie (Bad At Sports, Chicago); Cara Ober, (BMoreArt, Baltimore); and Michael Shaw, The Conversation Podcast, Lost Angeles (via Skype): "The Culture Producers" (video)

• Matthew Deleget, guest moderator of a conversation with Gabriel Perez-Barreiro, Director and Chief Curator, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection and Rachel Nackman, Curator, About Drawing: "Private Collections" (video)

• Matthew Deleget, guest moderator of a conversation with Sara Reisman, Director, Percent for Art, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs: "Art in Public" (video)

2013  

• Roberta Smith, The New York Times Art Critic: "Art Criticism Today"

• Randy Cohen, author, playwright, former Ethicist for the New York Times, and current Creator and Host of Person, Place, Thing: "The Ethics of Being an Artist" (video)

• Hrag Vartanian, Christopher Howard, and Lilly Wei, "Talk to the Critics"

• Martha Schwendener, Writer and Critic, The New York Times: "Advice From a Critic" (video)

• Anne Goodyear, Ph.D, Associate Curator, National Portrait Gallery; Professorial Lecturer, George Washington University: "Working With Museums" (video)

• Magda Sawon (Owner and Director, Postmasters Gallery in TriBeCa), Dennis Christie (Co-Owner, DCKT Gallery), Stephanie Theodore (Owner and Director, Theodore: Art, Bushwick, Brooklyn): "On Galleries" (video)

• Chris Cook, Executive Director, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: "Working with Non-profit Organizations and Residencies" (video)

• Jonathan T.D. Neil, Director of the Sotheby's Institute of Art, Los Angeles: "The Value of Art"

• Lisa Anastos (Founder and CEO of ARThood, Philanthropist in the Arts) and Matthew Deleget (Artist, Director/Owner of MINUS Space, Curator and Consultant): "Ask The Doctors - Exhibition Alternatives, Approaching a Collector, and Other Issues" (video)

• Murat Orozobekov, Co-Owner of Winkleman Gallery, New York, NY: "Obtaining Sponsorship" (video)

• Don Kimes, Professor of Art, American University, Washington, DC, and Artistic Director in the Visual Arts, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY: "Pedagogical Issues, Teaching Art, and Teaching Positions for Artists"

• Phil Rosenbloom, Partner, Bearence Management Group, Twin Cities: "On Collecting" (video)

2012 

• Robert Storr: "A Talk With Robert Storr"

• Adam Sheffer, Partner, Cheim and Read Gallery, NYC: "Galleries, Art World"

• Benjamin Genocchio: "Taking the pulse of the art world - Art Criticism and the Press" (video)

• Adrienne Outlaw and Michelle Grabner, Artist and Founder of Seed Space & Artist and Founder of Poor Farm and The Suburban, respectively: "Non-profit Orgs/Alternative Spaces" (video)

• Alan Bamberger, Consultant, Artbusiness.com: "The Artist Statement" (video)

• Stephanie Pereira, Director, Art Program of Kickstarter: "Introduction to Kickstarter" (video)

• Brian Bishop, Artist and Professor of Art, Framingham State College: "Pedagogy" (video)

• Josh Baer, Writer and Publisher of Baerfaxt.com: "What's Happening in the Art World Today" (video)

• Dede Young, Gallery Director, Gallerie LeLong: "Working With a Gallery"

• Ellen Harvey, Amanda Church, Tony Ingrisano, & Blane de St. Croix, Artists: "Living a Sustainable Creative Life" (video)

• Paddy Johnson, Founding Editor of Art Fag City: "Blogs, Online Magazines, & Contemporary Art Criticism" (video)

• Steven Sergiovanni, former Director, Mixed Greens, New York City: "Galleries, Art World" (video)

2011 

• Ken Johnson, Critic, The New York Times: "Conversation With Ken Johnson" (podcast)

• Walter Robinson, Artist and Former Editor of Artnet.com: "Reviews and the Critic"

• Michael Straus, Collector and Chairman of the Board, Andy Warhol Foundation: "Collecting"

• Anne Pasternak, Director, Creative Time: "Alternative Projects"

• Melissa Potter, Director of Book and Paper Program, Columbia College, Chicago, IL: "Fulbrights" (podcast)

• Carter Foster, Curator of Drawings, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY: "Working With Museums" (podcast)

• Bill Carroll (Former Art dealer, Consultant, and Current Head of EFA studio program) & Dennis Christie (Gallery owner, DCKT Gallery, New York, NY): "Galleries" (podcast)

• Joel and Sherry Mallin, Collectors: "Collecting" (podcast)

• Susan Schear, President, ARTISIN: "Writing a Business Plan" (podcast)

• Steven Goldglit, Managing Partner of Goldlit & Company: "Taxes and Bookeeping for the Artist" (video)

• Sharon Butler, Artist, Writer, Blogger: "Blogs and Social Media" (podcast)

• Gigi Rosenberg, Author of "Artist's Guide to Grant Writing": "Grant Writing" (video)

• Austin Thomas, Artist & Curator: "Pop-ups and Curating"

press:

• Sutton, Ben, "Critics Talk Shop and Art World Hierarchies," Hyperallergic, November 27, 2017

• Cascone, Sarah, "Editors’ Picks: 18 Things to See in New York This Week," Artnet, November 27, 2017

• Hamer, Katy, "Person Place Thing Episode 72: Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith," Eye Towards the Dove, May 15, 2014 (PDF)

• Howard, Christopher, "Flowers and a Nasty Note," in terms of, October 4, 2013 (PDF)