Jerry Saltz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Saltz
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| Born | February 19, 1951 Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist, Author, Art critic |
| Education | School of the Art Institute of Chicago |
| Period | 1990s–present |
| Notable works | Seeing Out Loud: The Village Voice Art Columns, 1998–2003 Seeing Out Louder |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2018) |
| Spouse |
Roberta Smith
(m. 1992) |
Jerry Saltz, born on February 19, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, is a well-known American art critic. Since 2006, he has been the main art critic and writer for New York magazine. Before that, he wrote for The Village Voice. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018, which is a very important award for writers. He was also nominated for this award in 2001 and 2006.
Saltz has taught as a guest critic at several famous schools. These include the School of Visual Arts, Columbia University, and Yale University. He also helped guide the 1995 Whitney Biennial, a big art show. He has received three special degrees called honorary doctorates.
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Early Life and Learning
Jerry Saltz was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and later moved to River Forest, Illinois. When he was ten years old, his mother passed away. Soon after, he visited the Art Institute of Chicago. This trip was very important to him. He realized that "Everything here is telling a story." He decided he wanted to learn the "language" of art and understand its stories.
From 1970 to 1975, Saltz attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He studied there for several years before leaving.
His Career in Art
Jerry Saltz first worked at the Jan Cicero Gallery. Then, he helped start N.A.M.E. Gallery. This was a special gallery run by artists from the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1980, Saltz moved to New York City.
Becoming an Art Critic
Since 2006, Saltz has been the main art critic for New York magazine. He writes about art and shares his opinions. Before this, he was the senior art critic for The Village Voice. He has also written for other art magazines like Art in America and Frieze.
Saltz believes that great modern artists teach themselves a lot. He looks for artists who "rethink skill" and find new ways to create. He once said, "I'm interested in people who rethink skill." He wants to understand what artists are trying to say. He also looks at what their art shows about society and life.
In his book Seeing Out Loud, Saltz described himself as a "goalie" critic. This means he sets high standards for art. He wants art to be "pretty good" to impress him. He uses interesting ideas to describe the art world. He has talked about how the art world can sometimes focus too much on new trends.
Saltz has said that we live in a "Wikipedia art world." He means that today, art information is open and available to everyone. He is known for his humor and honest opinions. Some people call him the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the art world. He believes that art critics don't have much power over an artist's success. However, ArtReview magazine once listed him as one of the most powerful people in the art world.
In 2007, he received the Frank Jewett Mather Award for art criticism. This award recognizes excellent art writing.
In 2018, Saltz shared how much he loves to write. He said he wakes up early and starts writing almost right away. He feels he needs to write before "the demons get me." He often writes all day long.
That same year, Saltz wrote about artist Carole Freeman's exhibit. Her portraits showed everyday Americans. Saltz called her works "beautiful meditations in paint." He said they showed that "greatness comes in many forms."
Talking with Readers on Facebook
Jerry Saltz uses Facebook a lot to talk with his audience. He posts questions and thoughts every day. He wants to make art criticism easier to understand for artists and others. His Facebook posts are more relaxed than his magazine articles. He even shares personal stories there. He once said it's like being in a big room with many people.
He has used his Facebook page to discuss different ideas about art. He has defended the use of humor and unexpected ideas in art.
- Some Facebook-related Jerry Saltz activity
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Saltz and Bill Clinton pose at an art gallery exhibit opening—side view of the scene long used as the user-avatar on Saltz's official Facebook page
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At the public opening reception of an art exhibit at a gallery in New York City, Saltz (center) is flanked by wife Roberta Smith and artist and Facebook friend Terry Ward.
In 2010, artist Jennifer Dalton created an artwork about Saltz's Facebook page. It looked at five months of conversations between Saltz and his online friends. Dalton said that Saltz's page showed that many people in the art world want to talk and connect.
Saltz also asked his Facebook friends for ideas for art studio door signs. Their replies were put into a book. In 2015, Saltz was briefly stopped from using Facebook. This happened after some users complained about his posts.
Art Critic on TV
Jerry Saltz was a judge on the TV show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. This show was on the Bravo channel. It ran from June 2010 to December 2011.
His Books
Jerry Saltz has written several books about art:
- Seeing Out Loud: The Village Voice Art Columns, 1998–2003 (published 2003)
- Seeing Out Louder (published 2009)
- Beyond Boundaries: New York's New Art (published 1986)
- How to Be an Artist (published 2020)
- Art is Life (published 2022)
Awards and Honors
Saltz won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018. He was also a finalist for this award in 2001 and 2006. He has received three special degrees called honorary doctorates. These include one from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2008. He also received one from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2011.
Personal Life
Jerry Saltz lives in New York City. His wife is Roberta Smith, who is also a main art critic for The New York Times. They got married in 1992. Saltz is Jewish.
