Jerry Saltz

Jerry Saltz is an art critic.

He writes about art for magazines. He also writes books. He used to drive big trucks. Now he looks for stories in art. He wants to know what art says to us. He even talks to people on Facebook. His writing helps us see the world through art.

Jerry Saltz is a famous art critic.

He writes about art for New York magazine. He also writes books. Before he was a critic, he drove big trucks. He did this until he was 41 years old.

Saltz loves to find stories in art. When he was a boy, he visited a museum. He felt that art had its own language. He wanted to learn that language. Now, he looks for what art says about being alive. He does not just look for skill. He looks for how artists rethink the world.

He is a very active writer. He wins many awards. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018. He also uses Facebook to talk to people. He posts many questions for his friends. He wants art to feel open to everyone. Some people say his style is funny. He likes to have a dialogue with his readers. This helps create a community for art lovers.

Jerry Saltz is a famous American art critic.

He writes about art for New York magazine. He also writes many books. Before he became a critic, he was a long distance truck driver. He did this job until he was 41 years old. Saltz loves to find stories in art. When he was a boy, he visited the Art Institute of Chicago. He felt that art had its own special language. He wanted to learn that language to know every story. Now, he looks for what art says about being alive.

Saltz has a unique way of looking at art. He does not just look for technical skill. He wants to see how artists rethink the world. He thinks an artist is like an engineer building rockets from rocks. He looks for what the artist is trying to say. He also looks at what the work reveals about our society. Saltz even calls himself a "goalie" in his writing. This means he thinks art must be very good to pass him.

His career has been full of many big steps. He worked at the Jan Cicero Gallery for a short time. Later, he helped start the N.A.M.E. Gallery with other artists. He moved to New York City in 1980. Since 2006, he has been a senior critic for New York magazine. He also wrote for The Village Voice. He even served as a judge on the show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. This show ran from 2010 to 2011.

Saltz has won many important honors for his writing. In 2018, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. He was also a finalist for this prize in 2001 and 2006. He received the Frank Jewett Mather Award in 2007. Saltz has three honorary doctorates from special schools. One was from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2008. Another was from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2011. In 2009, ArtReview named him the 73rd most powerful person in the art world.

He likes to talk to people about art every day. Saltz uses Facebook to share his thoughts with many followers. By December 2020, he had over 94,000 friends on the site. He posts questions and talks to his audience directly. He wants to make art feel open to everyone. Some people say his style is funny or even a bit silly. He wants to create a community where people can talk together. This helps make the art world feel like a shared space.

Jerry Saltz is a prominent American art critic. He is best known for his work with New York magazine. Since 2006, he has served as a senior art critic and columnist there. He also spent many years as the senior art critic for The Village Voice. Saltz does more than just describe paintings or sculptures. He seeks to understand the deeper meaning behind creative works. He explores how art reflects society and the human experience. His career has made him a very influential figure in the global art community.

Saltz approaches art with a very specific philosophy. He does not focus on technical proficiency or traditional skill. Instead, he looks for artists who redefine what skill actually means. He uses the example of an engineer building rockets from rocks. To Saltz, great art comes from rethinking how things are made. He wants to see what an artist is truly trying to say. He also looks for what the work reveals about being alive. He calls himself a "goalie" because he believes art must be excellent to pass his standards.

His journey to becoming a critic involved many different stages. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and later moved to River Forest. A childhood trip to the Art Institute of Chicago changed his life. He felt that art possessed its own special language and codes. He decided then that he would learn this language to understand every story. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1970 to 1975. Before his career in criticism began, he worked as a long-distance truck driver. He held that job until he was 41 years old.

Saltz has built a diverse professional history in the art world. He worked briefly at the Jan Cicero Gallery early in his career. Later, he co-founded the N.A.M.E. Gallery, which was an artist-run space. He moved to New York City in 1980 to further his career. Beyond newspapers, he has contributed to many major publications. These include Art in America, Frieze, and Modern Painters. He also served as a judge on the television series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. This show helped bring art discussions to a much wider television audience.

His achievements are marked by several prestigious awards and honors. In 2018, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This is one of the highest honors a writer can receive. He was also a finalist for this prize in 2001 and 2006. In 2007, he received the Frank Jewett Mather Award from the College Art Association. Saltz has also earned three honorary doctorates from respected institutions. These include honors from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Kansas City Art Institute. In 2009, ArtReview ranked him as the 73rd most powerful person in the art world.

Saltz is also known for his very active presence on social media. He uses Facebook to engage in constant dialogue with his audience. By December 2020, his friend count on the platform reached 94,039 people. He uses this space to ask questions and share his daily thoughts. He wants to demystify the role of the art critic for everyone. His posts are often less polished than his professional magazine columns. This openness creates a sense of community among his many followers. Some artists have even used his Facebook activity as the subject of their own artwork.

His work connects the high world of art to everyday life. He believes we live in an "open art world" similar to Wikipedia. This means that information and opinions are available to everyone now. Saltz uses humor and self-deprecation to stay connected to his readers. He often discusses the relationship between the art market and the artists themselves. He has even criticized how the art world treats young creators. Through his writing and social media, he keeps the conversation about art moving forward every day.