Dear Reader,

As I write this, the election is little more than a week away. It is possible we still might not know who the next president will be when this November/December issue hits the streets. We will either be celebrating or crying.

The already surreal fact that Trump has been our president for the last four years is compounded by the disturbing prospect that he might remain in this position for the next four years—a possibility that points to something very dark about our country’s uncertain future. No matter the turnout, it might be time to take a good long hard look at why we are where we are. And how did it get so out of hand?

Already our democracy is being threatened and years of fighting for civil rights, women’s rights and racial justice seems to be even more of an uphill battle. The pandemic could last well over another year. So, Dear Reader, might I be blunt? Many times it’s been hard to even conceive of putting out an art magazine every other month. It seems the world is on the edge of a nervous breakdown. What is the truth? What is fake? Is TikTok really something we should be paying attention to?

But somehow we’ve put together three more issues since the pandemic. One might even say the art world is thriving, at least compared to theater, film and music. Artists haven’t stopped making art so why should dealers stop selling art? Apparently there are still buyers out there.

The art world still plugs along, managing all the changes and adjustments. Can we live without openings? Sure, that’s easy—maybe even welcoming. Can we live without fairs? A resounding yes, as most art dealers will readily tell you. Can galleries handle not allowing admission to visitors without an appointment? I think so!

Proof of a very healthy art world is in this very issue, which focuses on interviews with artists and curators. It’s our Interview Issue, and the art world is indeed still alive and kicking. Some artists can’t get past what’s going on in the world; apparently everyone’s talking about it! Artillery writer Ezrha Jean Black checks in with New York performance artist, writer and artist Karen Finley to talk about—what else—politics; Finley finds Instagram a necessity during these times. Contributor Max King Cap gets nostalgic with LA artist Todd Gray, and Scarlet Cheng interviews emerging artist Alex Anderson about his porcelain sculptures. Jody Zellen talks with Gary Simmons about his canceled New York show, and Liz Goldner speaks with Marie Thibeault about her way of responding to a
topsy-turvy art world. On our cover, photographer and collector Stephen Berkman just released an amazing book of 19th-century photos. He is interviewed by our creative director Bill Smith, who apparently designs art books too.

One might surmise that the art world is highly resilient and adaptive to change. No matter how the election turns out, there’s one thing we know for sure: that there will always be an art world to pick up the pieces and carry on. We will survive this.