Rising Stars: Meet Liz Jordan

We want our artists to be able to live and work as artists without the need for another profession, income stream, or gig. This vision challenges the antiquated “starving artist” trope of the past, rejects present-day unsustainable hustle culture, and instead builds toward a future of equity for artists within our society. The goal is to ensure that our artists can be artists and support themselves and their families with their art and also have their work recognized and collected at the same rate as male artists.

The fact of that matter is that artists who identify as women, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and/or artists of color are simply not represented in traditional art spaces and institutions, especially museums and fine arts galleries, at the same rate as male artists. The bias is extreme and significant. A study conducted by journalists Charlotte Burns and Julia Halperin for Artnet News and Studio Burns found “that works by female-identifying artists made up just 11% of acquisitions and 14.9% of solo and group exhibitions between 2008 and 2020. Works by Black American artists accounted for a mere 2.2% of acquisitions and 6.3% of exhibitions. These acquisition figures are roughly one-fifth of ‘what they should be if collections are to represent the population of the United States’, the authors write in a foreword. The situation is compounded for Black American female artists, comprising 0.5% of museum acquisitions. They are ‘underrepresented by a factor of 13′ compared with the demographics of the US population.”

thMTHRshp endeavors to create a world where the art we experience and purchase is reflective of the artists living and working in our society because only then is it a true reflection of our humanity. For centuries, we’ve only seen a fraction of the story. The time to evolve is now.

thMTHRshp was born from two decades of experience in the arts, education, and nonprofit sectors serving women, children, immigrants, and disabled and at-promise youth. I have always been inspired by the ability of art to heal us as individuals and as communities, as well as its ability to connect us through pure expression of our shared humanity.

During the pandemic, I met artist and mother Sarah Creasman Barnett at a neighborhood park with our daughters. It was one of the most serendipitous meetings of my life. Sarah introduced me to the world of Motherhood Art, and it dawned on me just how misunderstood mothers are in our society. I knew it was vital to bring her work and the work of other historically marginalized artists to the forefront of the Dallas arts scene and beyond. So thMTHRshp was created and joins a growing movement, both locally and nationally, to bring visibility to artists identifying as women, mothers, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and/or artists of color. Trail Blazers like Daisha Board of Daisha Board Galleries and Kendel Bolton at the Bolton Arts Foundation have created space for traditionally underrepresented artists and I, Liz Jordan of thMTHRshp Gallery, am so proud to be a part of this movement.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The pandemic was an especially revelatory time for me, and I believe also for us collectively as a society. It revealed a lot of what worked and what didn’t in my life and also in society as a whole. I am grateful for the epiphanies that emerged from struggles of that time. It is because of them that I am here now, surrounded and supported by an incredible team of artists, community members, friends, and family who believe in me, thMTHRshp, and the movement.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most proud and grateful for my ability to connect with people and create opportunities where I see a need. It all comes down to the sense of service I have for humanity and also having healthy boundaries around that service. I tend to be an open and direct person. I am discerning; I know what I like; and from the perspective of a gallery owner, that means I am able to see an artist’s work and recognize something that will resonate with our collectors and community. It is absolutely essential for me to work with people I admire and respect. I find that things are much more powerful, cohesive, and efficient that way. I trust my instincts about art, people, and opportunities.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I feel like many people told me this, but it wasn’t something I appreciated without the benefit of experience, but truly, trust yourself. Listen to your intuition and pay attention to what is working for you in the present moment. We may have a beautiful yet rigid vision for ourselves from our youth that inspires our current and future actions, but as we grow, evolve, and mature, that vision may need to adapt. That’s okay and, sometimes, even necessary. Consider what inspires you, what makes you happy, and what boils your blood. Ask yourself, what do those things have in common, and what are you going to do about it?