If you’ve visited Agora Gallery in person, you have almost certainly met Justine, who can often be found manning the reception desk and greeting visitors with a friendly smile. With the details of both artists and artworks at her fingertips, she can help visitors to appreciate their visit more fully, welcome artists to the city, or just establish the warm, relaxed atmosphere that we cultivate at the gallery.

Q&A With Justine

When did you first discover your interest in art?

I’ve been interested in art as long as I can remember. I learned to paint when I was very young – my grandmother is a painter, and she taught me. As I got older I continued painting, drawing, and also printmaking, but I never actually considered a career in the arts until I fell in love with art history during my sophomore year of college. Today I still draw, but writing poetry is my main creative outlet.

What made you decide to take your interest to the next level with Master’s degrees in Art History and Art Business?

In hindsight, it was a natural progression. I started my MA in art history because, quite simply, I wanted to continue my pursuit of art historical knowledge. At that time I was planning to pursue a PhD so that I could teach at the university level. During the course of my art history MA study, I was exposed to so many ways of thinking about the history of art that I realized my interest is more focused on the gallery system and how contemporary art is introduced to the public. This is why I moved to New York – to study Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and to pursue a career in the international art world.

Are there any particular areas of art that most interest in you? If so, what is it that fascinates you?

My area of expertise is modern and contemporary art, but I tend to gravitate toward text-based artworks and artists’ books from any time in history because I am fascinated by the relationship between images and words. I love when painting incorporates text and literary references, as in artworks by artists like Christopher Wool and Cy Twombly. Artists’ books interest me as well, particularly those produced since the 1970s because they are so democratic. Books tend to be more accessible to collectors and viewers/readers in terms of not just cost, but also proximity. Whereas a painting is experienced mostly visually, books can be held, pages can be turned, text can be read, and so on.
I’ve also always loved studying the post-war New York School and Abstract Expressionism.

What do you like best about working in Chelsea?

The great aspect of working in a neighborhood like Chelsea is the close proximity of other galleries. I’m able to see and experience some of the most exciting contemporary art being produced today, and I enjoy living in the Lower East Side for the same reason.

What does your role at Agora Gallery involve?

As a Gallery Assistant, my responsibilities range from speaking with visitors about artworks and exhibitions to preparing artist portfolios for museum submissions. There is rarely a dull moment!

What’s your favorite aspect of working at Agora Gallery?

Working with represented artists and my colleagues makes my job meaningful. My colleagues at the gallery are great – we are an all-female team of individuals from multiple backgrounds and parts of the world, and I feel that we work well together and learn from each other every day. I also love working with the artists – I have encountered so many interesting, creative individuals during my time at Agora. It’s very gratifying to hear from artists how we have assisted them with their careers – it makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.

If you could meet one figure from art history, who would it be?

I wish I had had the opportunity to meet Cy Twombly, the American artist who passed away in 2011. He is well-known for his style that combines abstract painting, calligraphic symbols, scribbled writing, and mythological/historical/literary themes. I would have loved to visit his studio in Gaeta, Italy, while he was painting his series known as Untitled (Bacchus) – the monumental canvases contain looping, gestural brushstrokes so large that they were put on canvas with an oversized brush attached to a long pole.
I’d also love to time-travel to the nineteenth century and stroll the streets of Paris with Edouard Manet and Charles Baudelaire!