Hi.

ARTVOICES MAG is more than a cultural arts magazine. It is a witness. A historical record. A living archive documenting America's collective achievements, struggles, and aspirations through the lens of contemporary art.

At a time when culture is increasingly shaped by spectacle, commerce, and distraction, ARTVOICES remains committed to the artists, writers, curators, and thinkers whose work challenges, questions, and expands our understanding of the world. We believe art is not a luxury. It is evidence of who we are, what we value, and what we choose to remember.

The role of ARTVOICES is to document the conversations that matter. To amplify voices that deserve to be heard. To preserve the ideas, movements, and creative expressions that will define this moment for future generations.

For too long, artists and cultural producers have been expected to ask for permission to participate in the national dialogue. That time has passed.

We are not waiting to be invited into the conversation.

We are the conversation.

ARTVOICES is building a platform where contemporary art intersects with politics, history, culture, identity, and the human condition. A place where artists serve not only as creators, but as witnesses, critics, visionaries, and custodians of our collective memory.

We want to be on your radar. Not because we seek validation, but because what is happening here matters.

The artists matter.

The ideas matter.

The culture matters.

And history is being written in real time.

ARTVOICES is here to document it.

Dec 9

Dec 9 DEAR ARTISTS

Terrence Sanders-Smith

Contemporary Art

Dear Artist,

Do you find it disrespectful and disappointing when people come to your openings, take merely a cursory glance at the artwork and then spend more time drinking the free wine and indulging in banal chat about politics, the weather, their home repairs, etcetera?

Signed,
Disappointed

Dear Disappointed,

Even though we make art in relative solitude, driven by personal impulses, most of us hope our work resonates with viewers—moves them to think or feel something new. Usually, we’re not around to see how it’s received. Openings uniquely bring the artist, the work, and the audience into the same room. And yet it's hard—maybe impossible—for even the most invested viewer to have a patient or profound experience with artwork during what is essentially a party. This is why I almost never go to openings. When invited, I usually excuse my absence in advance, explaining that I want to encounter the art under better conditions. Also, as parties go, they’re kind of lame.

Read Full COLUMN by Emily Farranto in the WINTER issue.

Street Date: December 9th 2025