Kelsey Dickinson in Conversation with ART SHE SAYS Founder, Eliza Ali
Eliza Ali, Photo Credit: Tiffany Wang.
When Eliza Ali started a blog called ART SHE SAYS in 2013, she had no idea that in five years time it would transform into a professional magazine and networking club aimed at bringing women to the forefront of the art world. However, the path to building her platform was not exactly linear. Originally interested in law, Ali saw herself as a high-powered attorney before realizing her calling as an art world player. A job at a high-profile New York City law firm proved to Ali that a career in law did not fulfill her creative leanings, but the powerful women in that office influenced and inspired her.
“It’s funny to look back because you realise that the universe gives you little pushes along the way” Ali explained to MADE IN BED over email, “and it all comes back full circle.” Believing that women are the best investment in the future, Ali reignited her blog, keeping the idea of amplifying women at the heart of her editorial community.
In this interview, Kelsey Dickinson, current Sotheby’s Institute, New York, student, speaks with Eliza about finding a purpose, investing in women, and using a platform to make an impact.
Kelsey Dickinson: Throughout your career you have held various unique positions, from interning at a luxury magazine to working at a law firm, how did your experiences culminate in a career in the art world?
Eliza Ali: It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do. The first time I ever heard about Art Basel was when I was interning at Hamptons Magazine and there was a magazine cover for it in the office. I loved the experience of working for a luxury magazine, but after I graduated I decided I wanted to pursue art law, so I took a job as a paralegal at a law firm in New York that specialized in media and the arts to see what it was all about. I was inspired by all the power-women who walked those hallways and knew I wanted to be like that one day, but I did not know how I was going to get there. Eventually, it was clear that I only liked the idea of being a lawyer. It was incredibly uncreative for me, so by the time law school came around I bailed and decided to switch gears and find a job directly in art.
It is always important to ask yourself if what you’re doing makes you truly happy or if you are just doing it because it looks good on paper. It was quite nerve-wracking to jump from law to art, but I risked it anyway. I ended up working for a couple of art advisors in the city and from there it was obvious to me that this is where I belonged.
KD: What inspired you to take the leap and start your own magazine? Was there a sense of urgency to the mission or was it an idea you had been building over the years?
EA: It’s funny to look back because you realize the universe gives you little pushes along the way and it all comes back full circle. ART SHE SAYS started off as a blog in 2013 where I wrote about fashion, food, travel, and art. Believe it or not, it was actually a semester assignment from a professor at my university for which we had to start a blog. I went to Mount Holyoke, which is a women’s college, so naturally I incorporated a lot of thoughts on women’s empowerment and highlighted several of my term papers such as ‘Scandalous Women in Art History.’ [After] I graduated, I continued the blog but it was not until [after] I took a long break from it [that] I realized this was my true passion and I had to do something with it. By the time 2018 rolled around, the rest of the world was catching up with a new wave of women’s empowerment and this really positioned me to transform the blog into a professional magazine using my existing network in New York.
Eliza Ali at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo Credit: BFA.
KD: In the past, you have said that you consider working with the right people to be of the utmost importance. How did you build a team that shares your vision and how have you united behind the mission of advancing women?
EA: It’s all in the little things. I’ve made the mistake of working with people who couldn’t see the long-term vision for the magazine or were not as passionate about it as I was. This really changes everything. Passion, communication, and work ethic are key. At this point in time, my team fluctuates depending on the season. I think people believe ART SHE SAYS is some large company but really it’s only Julie Wynn in Los Angeles who runs our art advisory side, Elisa Carollo in Milan who does brilliant art fair coverage for us, Claudia Cheng, our editor in London and myself.
KD: ART SHE SAYS has evolved from a just magazine to include an advisory service, the Gal Guide, and The Collector’s Club. Can you tell us a little bit about these different programs?
EA: Our art advisory specializes in finding female artists for our private and commercial clients, as well as partnering with galleries to create meaningful exhibitions. We work with all artists upon request, but as a company we love to push women.
The Gal Guide is a gallery guide to our top recommended art shows by city that feature women artists. It’s a new and ongoing concept allowing our audience to navigate galleries across the world and find a show they might like to see.
The Collector’s Club is a membership designed to empower women in the arts and provide special opportunities for artists, art dealers, and new or established collectors. Our events range from artists talks (Salon Series) to private dinners featuring an honored guest (Power Series) cocktail hours and career workshops (Mastermind Series). After the pandemic, stay tuned for our exciting art and culture trips around the world (Jetset Series).
KD: I am curious about your advisory services, how does this aspect tie into the mission of ART SHE SAYS? How do you encourage clients to invest in female artists?
EA: One aspect of our art advisory is having a small collection of works from a female artist on our website for a limited time only. We usually only offer art by women to our clients, especially if they are emerging collectors. We love to think outside the box and find ways for our artists to work with commercial partners as well.
When it comes to established collectors, their requests tend to be different. Rather than looking for new work it’s more about sourcing and selling existing works for their collections, which may include male artists too.
The ART SHE SAYS homepage, courtesy of ART SHE SAYS.
KD: Have you seen an increase in interest for work by female artists since founding ART SHE SAYS?
EA: Absolutely. It’s funny because I have become such an expert without realizing it. I sometimes find myself neglecting to keep up with the contemporary male counterparts out there which is probably something I have to work on. We are all about inclusivity and empowering each other.
KD: What is your prediction for the future of women in the arts and female artists? How do you see the inclusion of more women and diverse voices changing the industry?
EA: I hope one day we can even the playing field enough so that we can just say the word “artists” without having to put a gender in front of it. Although we've seen about a 40% increase in the representation of female artists in galleries over the last several years, their sales still account for 2% of the total market. You probably also notice this at auction houses. So, there is still work to do.
Inclusion-wise, it's become more prevalent to focus on regions of the world outside of Western art, and by doing so we are discovering many great artists and rising stars.
Eliza Ali and art advisor Agne Skinderskyte pictured in front of ‘The One Whose Head is Turned’ (2020) by artist Kevin Brisco at Studio 525 in NYC. This work was featured in the group exhibition VOICES, where sales were donated to the Black Artist Fund and Art Start. Photo Cedit: Lucas Hoeffel.
KD: You started ART SHE SAYS because you saw the need for more female representation in the industry, what is the ultimate goal for the magazine? How do you see ART SHE SAYS growing and evolving in the next 5 years?
EA: I have my shoe in two industries: media and art. In terms of media, my goal is to provide a luxury media platform for women in the art industry that creates cross-generational and cross-cultural conversations with meaningful and sophisticated content. In regard to art, the end goal is to make an impact on important issues through art shows and collaborations. For example, we always have a charity component with our exhibitions. This summer we partnered on a show that contributed to supporting Black artists and our upcoming show in December will support mental health awareness. Next spring, we will have a show that supports climate change awareness. In the next 5 years I hope that we continue to grow and be recognized as thought leaders so that we can continue to make a social impact.
KD: Finally, what advice do you have for other aspiring ‘artpreneurs’ who are trying to find their purpose in this space?
EA: Block the noise and forge your own path. There isn't a right or wrong way to do anything in any industry. The best advice I have is to find your mission in life. Ask yourself, what can I do with my time that is important and impacts the world in a positive way? Then figure out a way to tie it into [a] career and life will never be boring.
Thank you, Eliza.
For more information on ART SHE SAYS, check out their website and Instagram.
Kelsey Dickinson,
Contributor, MADE IN BED