Today we’d like to introduce you to Jana Talke.
Hi Jana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to DFW seven years ago from Germany. Since I haven’t been to the Metroplex before, I didn’t know what to expect. But I was absolutely delighted to see how much there was to do around here, and also how friendly everyone was! My background is in academia – literature and art history. I started going to cultural events in the area as quickly as I could to fill my days, to meet new people, to get inspired. I absolutely loved everything – the public art, the Arts District, the hidden gems. Around the time when the pandemic hit, I decided to dedicate my Instagram page to the arts & culture of DFW, @talketalksart was born. Later, a TikTok channel with the same name followed. I started to get invited to press previews by museums, an absolute dream come true! I also work as a freelance writer for German newspapers, writing mostly about art. Since the beginning of this year, I also have a column about my life in Texas called ‘Talke talks’ in the German newspaper “Neues Deutschland.’ My goal is to share what I love about DFW, both with locals and the people in my home country.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle for me is to gain more exposure. Art is not as crowd-pleasing as fashion, lifestyle, and food are, which I understand because I, too, love following fashion, lifestyle, and food creators! I think the reason for art being neglected in the influencer sphere is because the art world is often seen as snobbish or secluded. But I am here to prove this is not the case at all, at least not in DFW.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am DFW’s own art & culture influencer. I take my followers to art exhibitions; I analyze works of art with them, I write reviews of opera and ballet performances; I share ideas for great artsy Instagram spots; I tell my audience when certain exhibits are free, I talk about child-friendly art events because I am a mother and want to experience art with my daughter. The art world is often perceived as something meant for the rich and famous. But it is absolutely, and especially here in the DFW, a place for everyone who is interested. You can go to most museums for free, and even those that charge fees have free entrance on particular days. You can buy very reasonably priced art from local artists if you want to start collecting. You don’t need connections to go to art parties at, say, Dallas Contemporary – you can just show up; you can experience free classical concerts in the NorthPark Mall or Klyde Warren Park. I keep my Instagram followers informed about all that is going on in DFW culturally, and I take them on my travels to see even more art. On TikTok, I do deep dives on unknown and marginalized artists, debunk art world controversies, and talk about art movements in depth.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
It sometimes feels like I’m the only person left who still loves New Year’s Eve! 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://talketalks.blogspot.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/talketalksart
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Talketalks
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@talketalksart
