GIRLS Magazine | Issue 3

OCTOBER 2018

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3

girls magazine

THE ART ICONS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS GIRLS MISSION STATEMENT EDITOR'S NOTE | ADRIANNE RAMSEY | PAGE 3 THE ART ACTIVIST | KIMBERLY DREW | PAGE 4 THE GAME-CHANGING PHOTOGRAPHER | BENICIA KING | PAGE 8 THE AMERICAN PAINTER | CLÉMENCE MORIN | PAGE 11 THE DIGITAL ENGAGER | CRISTINA HERNANDEZ-GUERRERO | PAGE 14 IMAGE CREDITS | PAGE 17

GIRLS is a revised portfolio of interviews from a nationwide community of real, strong women.

It's a magazine that is 100% all women, which is beautiful in its rarity - the magazine is a safe space FOR women ABOUT women.

Created by Adrianne Ramsey, it serves as a content destination for millennial women. Read on for an engagement of feminist voices and a collaborative community for independent girls to discover, share, and connect.

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EDITOR'S NOTE

BY ADRIANNE RAMSEY After publishing GIRLS 2 in June 2017, I was on a roll. I soaked up all the positive responses, created a website, and started planning the third issue. But after a couple of months of feeling like I was in a haze about GIRLS, I snapped out of it and realized that I had stalled production. At first I thought that I was suffering from writer’s block, but as the months passed it became clear that my original plan wasn’t working. I started GIRLS during a huge transitional period of my life – I graduated from college, moved home, and started a new job. Another issue was that my original theme for GIRLS 3, a music artist/lovers issue, just interest me anymore.

Instead of forcing myself to complete a project I wasn’t fully invested in, I focused on other aspects of my life. I graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, which is interesting because most people pegged me as an English or Journalism major. I took my first art history class in my freshman year and was hooked. I started working at museums in my junior year of college and have continued ever since. My interest in contemporary curatorial practice grew over the years, so it’s ironic that it took me this long to figure out the theme for GIRLS 3: female artists and art activists pushing for change in the art world.

Artists have especially seized this particular political moment, many of them making anti-Trump protest art and raising issues that have plagued the art world since the beginning of time. Several museums across the nation are curating exhibitions about our troubling political climate or the history of protest, such as the current “Everything is Connected: Art and Conspiracy” exhibition at the Met Breuer in New York City and the upcoming exhibition “Take Action: A For Freedoms Exhibition” at the California College for the Arts in San Francisco. Unfortunately, a huge lack of diversity and women in curatorial staffs, exhibition and public programming, and museum’s permanent collections persist. It’s going to take years to undo the stagnant, white male mentality that has plagued the art world (and everywhere, honestly) for centuries, but I have hope for the future and strive to be apart of that driving force that advocates for equality and change. The 16-month break between GIRLS 2 & 3 was much longer than I anticipated, but readers are in for a fruitful treat. The four participants of GIRLS 3 are breaking barriers in the art world through artwork (Benicia and Clémence) and activism (Kimberly and Cristina). I am so proud of this issue, as well as myself for waiting for inspiration to flow through my veins before beginning GIRLS 3. Remember to never give up and don’t abandon your dreams – if you need a break, take it! It may be during that break that you get your groove back.

PSA: Midterm elections are on November 6th, 2018. Check if you’re registered to vote, sign up for election reminders, and if you don’t have a printer to print out the register form, www.turbovote.org will mail you a form! VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

THE ART ACTIVIST KIMBERLY DREW IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR HER LOVE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, ART, AND BLACK CULTURE. SHE TALKS TO GIRLS ABOUT WHAT THE ART WORLD CAN IMPROVE ON, HER UPCOMING BOOK, AND HER RECENT DECISION TO LEAVE THE MET.

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QUICK FACTS AGE: 28 EDUCATION: B.A. IN ART HISTORY AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES, WITH A CONCENTRATION IN MUSEUM STUDIES FROM SMITH COLLEGE

RECENT ACCOLADES: YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS' YBCA 100 (2016), INAUGURAL FEMINIST CURATOR AWARD FROM A.I.R. GALLERY (2016), BROOKLYN MAGAZINE'S BROOKLYN 100 (2017)

INFLUENTIAL PERSON I’D LIKE TO MEET: LINDA GOODE BRYANT, FOUNDER OF “JUST ABOVE MIDTOWN”. AS A BLACK PERSON IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE, I’D LOVE TO TAKE HER OUT AND CHAT ABOUT WHAT SHE’S DOING!

Above: Kimberly at the 2018 Met Gala.

Scoring an interview with Kimberly Drew is kind of a big deal. Here’s why: Drew began her museum career with an internship at The Studio Museum in Harlem and founded the incredible Tumblr blog, Black Contemporary Art. These experiences propelled Drew’s interests in social media and art world activism, and she is now a household name with an impressive resume. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including "Vanity Fair", "Teen Vogue", and "Glamour", and she has delivered lectures and panel discussions at Harvard University, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, and many more. Drew’s social media pages (she holds over 222,000 Instagram followers and over 25,000 Twitter followers) are ingeniously curated, ranging from images of her travels (Miami, Milan, Paris, and Japan to name a few) to snapshots of artworks or the countless art institutions she visits to her deadpan opinions about all things related to art, politics, pop culture, and Black culture. But right now, Drew is at a transitional point in her life. After working as the Social Media Manger at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for three years, she's decided to leave her post and focus 100% on her forthcoming publication with "New York Times Magazine" writer Jenna Wortham, “The Black Futures Project.” Read on to find out more.

PAGE 6 GM: Since Trump’s win, the art world has gone through some massive changes. Name one positive change that you’ve seen.

KD: The [2016 Presidential] Election in many ways sparked a profound momentum in the art world to think about how the arts can affect political change. Art and activism go hand in hand, but now there’s a connection between art, the government, and social media. Social media provides proximity and a lens in which we can interpret how the world seems to change around us.

GM: As a counter, name a negative that you’ve seen.

KD: This isn’t necessarily a negative, but the political and art worlds are both so complicated and opaque. How do we figure out the ways in which we want to authentically be apart of the dialogue, and how do we read authenticity?

There are lot of individuals and groups who are trying to represent different causes, so it can be difficult navigating what you should stand for.

But what makes the art world the one I love to be in is that it’s constantly changing and everything can be improved upon!

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GM: You recently defended the appointments of two white curators, Kristen Windmuller-Luna of the Brooklyn Museum and Timothy Anne Burnside of the National Museum of African-American History & Culture. Can you clarify your position?

KD: When we have conversations about who should curate what, it’s important to think about underrepresented folks. In looking at museums, one is also looking at sites of display – there aren’t many curators of color who have access to those spaces. It’s more important to focus on those folks and how to uplift them, versus solely looking at the fury. Many curators of different walks of life should have the full right to curate what they feel most passionate about. In fact, the second black woman curator in the Met’s history is Andrea Meyers Achi, Assistant Curator of Medieval Art. GM: Speaking of the Met, you’re leaving! When is your last day?

KD: November 2nd, which is sad. I’ll miss the Met. Leaving a job, especially one where you’ve spent several hours a day at, is hard.

GM: Do you believe that the Met can support more women artists, POC artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and more within their exhibitions, public programming, and permanent collection?

KD: Absolutely. However, I do credit my colleagues in the sense that they are very ambitious in expanding the artists in the permanent collection.

It’s been a pleasure seeing the Met change – I see people trying, especially programmatically.

Diversity and access within museums are interesting conversations because we need to make a commitment to holding them accountable. Every museum should push the boundaries.

Above: Kimberly in Marrakech.

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GM: You and Jenna Wortham have been working on “The Black Futures Project” for a couple of years. How did this project begin?

KD: Jenna and I first met in 2015; she was curious about me and reached out. We got lunch and she pitched the idea of doing a zine. I declined and suggested a concrete book. We began working at that first meeting, just spit-balling ideas together and coming up with a book proposal.

GM: What are the contents of “The Black Futures Project”?

KD: The composition of “Black Futures” includes recipes, eulogies, images, playlists, dialogues, and more. As co-editors of the text, Jenna and I are really trying to be as creative as possible in how we come up with the mission of the anthology. The main question the book tries to answer is: “What does it mean to be black and alive right now?”

Above: Jenna Wortham (left) and Kimberly at the White House in 2016.

GM: Have you enjoyed working on the book?

KD: The logistics of making the book is hard work since we have about 70-100 contributors – filing all that paperwork is not for someone with my birth chart. But it’s been a gift building this book because it’s the founding force of one of the most important friendships in my life.

GM: What responses to the book are you hoping to get?

KD: My dream from the beginning of this project is that people will see the book and feel themselves represented in it, even in the smallest way. The most romantic proposition is when you see a book, old or new, and you can’t believe you haven’t come across it yet.

GM: What’s your current status with Black Contemporary Art? KD: I founded BCA, but a committee has always run it and there are multiple contributors. At this stage I don’t have a ton of time to devote to it like I did in college, but it’s absolutely ongoing. There’s always an opportunity to learn, which is super exciting!

TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM: @MUSEUMMAMMY WEBSITE: WWW.MUSEUMMAMMY.CLUB

THE GAMECHANGING PHOTOGRAPHER BENICIA KING’S SHARP PHOTOGRAPHS OF BLACK LIFE AND CULTURE ARE GETTING HER GREAT PRAISE – AND CARVING A PATH FOR HER ARTISTIC AMBITIONS.

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PAGE 9 QUICK FACTS AGE: 24

EDUCATION: B.A. IN PHOTOGRAPHY, WITH A MINOR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2019) PRIMARY MEDIUM: PHOTOGRAPHY INFLUENTIAL PERSON I'D LIKE TO MEET: ROY DECARAVA, A HARLEM RENAISSANCE PHOTOGRAPHER. HE CLEARLY DEFINED FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH HIS OWN NUANCED PERSPECTIVE AND TOOK PORTRAITS OF TIMELY MUSICIANS LIKE BILLIE HOLLIDAY.

Above: "Untitled" by Benicia King (2018)

Benicia King is on top of the world right now.

She premiered her photography show “New Culture/New Class, Part 1” this September to rave reviews, sharing the exhibition space with fellow artist Clémence Morin. Her exhibition featured a collection of black and white photographs that explored Black masculinity; the second iteration will premiere in April 2019. She talks to GIRLS about who inspired this project, its install, and what she thinks this young generation could improve upon.

GM: How long have you identified as an artist?

BK: I experimented with different forms of art in middle school, but didn’t take my craft seriously until I went to USC. I grew up in Louisiana, where I didn’t have art classes. There were no photography classes and you had to have a portfolio to get into the drawing and painting classes. So I just took pictures of everything and used Flickr, but I knew I eventually needed to get training from an actual art school.

GM: What subjects do you focus on with your photography?

BK: Black culture and the different subcultures within that, and Black people – men, women, or nongender. At times I photograph events that are not necessarily focused on these subjects.

GM: Where did the idea for your show come from and how long have you been working on this project?

BK: I’ve been working on this project since 2016, when I first moved to Los Angeles. I was living with my grandfather, who was a reverend from an older generation of Black men. I paid attention to how his characteristics, physically and mentally, were and looked at the younger generation of Black boys and men. I saw a dramatic contrast in how the current generation is more expressive in whom they want to be but lack certain values that we saw predominately in the older generation. That’s when I started questioning what masculinity was within the Black community. I wanted to create a platform for Black men to express themselves by showing their personalities and break the stereotypes of what a Black man is “supposed” to be.

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GM: How did you specifically install your works for this exhibition?

BK: The largest print was 13 x 19 inches. I wanted more intimate communication, so I focused on exhibiting small sized prints. I organized the prints by the chronological order of when I shot each person and transitioned into the next phase of the project, which integrates females and androgyny into the masculinity series.

GM: What responses did your show receive?

BK: People complimented me on my photos, asked me about my inspirations, and told me to disregard any naysayers because I am amazing. Overall, great responses!

GM: How was it working with Clémence?

BK: I’ve done shows in the past where the artists have so many ideas and nothing ends up getting done, so I initially worried about whether we would communicate well. But working with her was really awesome! We have the same values as far as preparation and getting things done in a good amount of time, as well as helping each other out. It was just the two of us doing install, so we stayed up to help each other. We’re really good friends now.

GM: Name some negatives and positives that you’ve seen in the art world post-Trump.

BK: A lot of people from different cultures are coming together through the art industry, working together, and bonding together over shared dislike of Trump. However, this younger generation has a lot of opinions but doesn't know how to appropriately voice them. They can come across as having a negative perspective and energy, and I think younger artists are struggling with changing this perception and should really focus on their language.

GM: Great perspective! What’re your plans for the future?

BK: I would like to have my own studio and photography business that balances commercial and fine art photography!

INSTAGRAM: @BENICIAKING WEBSITE: WWW.BENICIAKING.COM

Above: "Emanuele" by Benicia King (2018)

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THE AMERICAN PAINTER CLÉMENCE MORIN TALKS TO GIRLS ABOUT HER EXCITING PAINTING SHOW THAT PRESENTED WORKS ANALYZING AMERICA’S CENSORSHIP OF FEMALE BODIES.

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QUICK FACTS AGE: 21 EDUCATION: B.F.A. IN PAINTING AND GRAPHIC DESIGN FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2019) PRIMARY MEDIUM: OIL PAINTING INFLUENTIAL PERSON I'D LIKE TO MEET: CHLOE WISE! SHE’S A REALLY INSPIRATIONAL FEMALE ARTIST AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME ADVICE FROM HER ON WHAT TO DO IN MY CAREER! The buzz surrounding Clémence Morin for the past month has been incredibly exciting. Sharing an exhibition space with Benicia King, she premiered her painting show “Don’t Worry, I’m Censored For You” this September. The exhibition featured impressive pieces that raised issues surrounding the lack of agency a woman has over her body in America. “My show was very political and so was Benicia’s, especially when it came to gender and masculinity,” Clémence says. “A lot of younger artists aren’t scared of making political art, which is fantastic due to the political climate.” She opens up about being a female painter, turning her political frustration into a strong body of work, and how much fun she had working with Benicia.

Above: "Still Life of a Vessel" by Clémence Morin (2018)

GM: How long have you identified as an artist?

CM: I always knew I was going to do something in the arts, but it wasn’t until middle school that I decided to choose fine arts over theatre/drama. I came into USC thinking that I would never paint alone in a studio for most of the day and then show at a gallery at night, but that’s my life now and I love it!

GM: Did anyone inspire you to go to art school?

CM: My dad’s parents were artists and interior designers, and his sister and her daughter are painters. My maternal grandmother was an artist during college. Therefore, I’ve always been surrounded by art. My parents are very supportive of me, so there’s never been a question about whether I’m going to make money – they just want me to do what I love!

GM: What types of subjects do you focus on?

CM: Due to my experiences as a female, I’ve always been really interested in painting women and exploring the female body. I like looking at how I represent my body, other women’s bodies, and how female bodies are shown through advertisements and social media. It’s important for female artists to represent themselves in art spaces because that’s not “typical."

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GM: Where did the idea for your show come from and how long have you been working on this project?

CM: I applied for an exhibition last fall and had this summer to work on its contents. The exhibition’s idea originated from a work that I created in 2017 at the peak of the “Free the Nipple” movement on social media.

A woman got arrested in San Francisco for barring her chest, so I dove into that topic. I made a painting called “The Irony of Freedom”, a cool, iconic imagery of a woman flashing the audience while being censored by the symbol of American freedom. I played with the two ironies of a woman exposing herself but by doing that you can’t see her face and she has no identity – she’s sexualizing herself because she has pasties covering her nipples. I loved working on that painting and talking to people about the sub layers within its context. With so many issues surrounding Donald Trump and now Brett Kavanaugh, I decided to take my passion and anger and dive into political undertones. I made all of the paintings this summer and focused on issues of being a woman, non-POC and POC, in America.

GM: How did you specifically exhibit the works?

CM: Benicia reached out to me at the beginning of the summer because she wanted to work together. I loved the idea but didn’t want either of our work to overpower the other. While we wanted each exhibit to have their own separate identities we also wanted it to flow and for people to enjoy our work at the same time. As for my paintings, I wanted to participate in the conversation about the status of Roe v. Wade. As you move throughout the exhibition, the paintings become poetic in their meaning – the violence of objectification. Women are either covering themselves with the flag or are choked by it.

GM: What were some positives/negatives about the experience?

CM: I rushed until the last second to get my paintings done; I definitely could’ve used another three weeks to finish. Benicia and I both spent a lot of time making sure the installation was perfect, and I’m glad because the space looked amazing.

The show was well received so we were both really happy about that.

GM: How was it working with Benicia?

CM: Oh my god, I love her – she’s the best! Artists can be really focused on their own trade, so it was great spending time with another artist who was so helpful to me. I know many painters, but working with a photographer was incredible. I’m so glad I met her; she’s now a life long friend.

GM: Do you identify as a feminist?

CM: Both of my parents raised me to be a strong woman and refused to put my brothers ahead of me. I always believe that I can do anything that men can and will work just as hard as them. I hate the idea that women have to be covered up, shy, and reserved. I’m French-American and I’ve noticed that French women are really powerful and confrontational, they’re not scared of others and are definitely little rebels – I’ve picked up those attributes!

Above: "Untitled" by Clémence Morin (2018) INSTAGRAM: @CLEMENCEMORIN WEBSITE: WWW.CLEMENCEMORIN.COM

THE DIGITAL ENGAGER INSPIRED BY HER OWN MUSEUM ADVENTURES, CRISTINA HERNANDEZ-GUERRERO CREATED AN INSTAGRAM PAGE THAT’S ALL ABOUT FEMALE MUSEUMGOERS AND ART LOVERS.

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QUICK FACTS AGE: 29 EDUCATION: B.A. IN HISTORY AND ART HISTORY FROM UCLA, M.A. IN MUSEUM EDUCATION FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO MEET: RUTH BADER GINSBURG, JENNY HOLZER, AND FRIDA KAHLO

While finishing her graduate degree, Cristina Hernandez-Guerrero decided that she wanted to create a source of inspiration to break the glass ceiling and make some real change. “As a woman of color and Latin heritage, I really wanted to create a platform to advance female minorities in the arts and museum field,” she dishes. In April 2017 she launched the Instagram page Museum Girl Gang, which exclusively shows women enjoying museums and art. Read on to find out more about this incredible Instagram and Cristina’s aspirations and dreams.

GM: Aside from your own experiences visiting museums, what were the other outstanding reasons that caused you to start MGG? CHG: While art museums in the United States have made significant progress in achieving gender equality, the racial and ethnic profile of their staffs is much less diverse. Although 28 percent of museum staffs are from minority backgrounds, the great majority of these workers are concentrated in security, facilities, finance, and human resource jobs. Among museum curators, conservators, educators and leaders, only 4 percent are African-American and 3 percent are Hispanic. That lack of diversity that I saw on the daily inspired me to create a feminist and diverse social media account!

GM: How is MGG run?

CHG: Right now I’m the only one who controls the page. In MGG’s early stages I just followed active people from my favorite museum Instagram accounts, and from there it took off and became popular by word of mouth. MGG is not exclusive whatsoever; a person joins by a simple follow or hashtag.

GM: How do you post your content? Do people just send images to you?

CHG: I’m always happily surprised when people tag or send MGG an image to post. My system is fairly organic; if I think people would benefit or enjoy the subject I’ll simply post it. I try to showcase women in the arts or museum field that embody independence, inspiration and change and create a space where women can have conversations about those experiences.

MGG is definitely all about girl power – we’re just a gang of girls fighting the patriarchy in museums.

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GM: What are the responses you’ve gotten about MGG, and how have they affected your future plans with the page?

CHG: All of the feedback has been positive!

People message me with words of appreciation, inspiration, and kindness; they love the premise of the account. I would love to start a pop-up MGG touring group.

The premise of the pop-up would be bringing the girl gang together for fun and educational programming based on women artists and content. I’ve even thought of matching membership shirts with famous women artists illustrated on them!

GM: Earlier, you brought up really interesting points about the art world. What are some positive changes that you’ve recently seen?

CHG: In response to this new political climate, I’ve seen the art world and women come together to creative transformative social change. With the #MeToo Movement and major national events like the Women’s March, America has experienced a cultural shift towards recognizing and carving out a space in society for female bodies and voices.

GM: Could you expand a little more on what the art world can improve on?

CHG: The top two issues that I hope will improve is an increase in livable wages for museum employees and, of course, diversity!

It’s unbelievable how little people can make in the museum field. I would like to see more job postings with salaries that people can sustain and to see people who look like me in the [museum] field. Let’s face it – museums are predominately white and must become more inclusive places that reflect our society’s pluralism in every aspect of their operations and programs!

Above: Cristina in Yayoi Kusama's "Obliteration Room".

GM: Last question! Do you think that POC and/or female artists are making progress in getting their work recognized in the art world?

CHG: Both sets of artists are definitely employing more unconventional tools to advance their work.

Outlets like Instagram provide female and/or POC artists with the power to create their own gallery, company, and stage, giving them full control of how they are portrayed.

INSTAGRAM: @MUSEUMGIRLGANG

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IMAGE CREDITS COVER PAGE: Image by RedHeartMedia (2018) PAGE 2: "The Irony of Freedom" (2018) by Clémence Morin (Provided by CM) PAGE 4: Image by Daniel Dorsa (2017) PAGE 5: Image by Kimberly Drew (2018) PAGE 6: Image by Kimberly Drew (2018) PAGE 7: Image by Emmanuel Olunkwa (2016) PAGE 8: Image by Benicia King (2018) PAGE 9: "Untitled" (2018) by Benicia King (Provided by BK) PAGE 10: "Emanuele" (2018) by Benicia King (Provided by BK) PAGE 11: Image by Sarah Ching (2017) PAGE 12: "Still Life of a Vessel" (2018) by Clémence Morin (Provided by CM) PAGE 13: "Untitled" (2018) by Clémence Morin (Provided by CM) PAGE 14: Image by Cristina Hernandez-Guerrero (2018) PAGE 16: Image by Cristina Hernandez-Guerrero (2018) BACK PAGE: Image by RedHeartMedia (2018)

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OCTOBER 2018

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3

girls magazine

THE ART ICONSÂ