Stepping down after nearly three decades
The cover of my first issue, August 1994, and the cover of this month’s issue, my last. Not shown: the 323 issues in between.
A little over 28 years ago, in June 1994, I walked into the Southwest Art offices for the first time to start working as the magazine’s assistant editor. In my job interview, I had told Susan McGarry, my new boss, that I knew very little about art. “That’s okay,” she said, “you have the writing skills we need, and you’ll learn about art as you go along.”
Boy, did I ever.
Neither Susan nor I could have predicted that I would spend the better part of the next three decades immersed in the world of western art. Over the years I grew in my role on the staff, assuming the position of editor in chief in 2002. It’s a position I have loved, and it has shaped my life in myriad ways. But the time has come for me to step down, and so this issue marks the final chapter in my Southwest Art career.
As I think back, many of my favorite memories come from my travels to art events. There were dozens of trips to visit galleries in Santa Fe during Indian Market weekend, or in Jackson, WY, during the Fall Arts Festival. I’ve lost count of how many times I went to the Prix de West Invitational in Oklahoma City; until the pandemic, the only time I had missed it was the year my wedding happened just two weeks after the show. (Speaking of which: I wouldn’t have met my husband if I hadn’t traveled to Denver for the Coors Western Art show in January 2000!) Those trips mattered so much because they brought me closer to the art, the artists who created it, and the meaningful stories they told about what inspired it. I can’t think of a single Prix de West awards banquet when I wasn’t moved to tears listening to the artists describe how much the awards meant to them.
Many times at these events, artists who have been featured over the years have told me how those articles became stepping stones to their success. I am humbled and proud to have played a small role in that. Countless artists have also told me that the story we wrote about them was the best one they’ve ever had, and that warms my editor’s soul. Most importantly, you—our readers—have told me how much you love the magazine, and that has been my greatest joy.
Twenty-eight years is a very long time. While it’s hard to imagine my life without Southwest Art in it, this feels like the right time to step away and write my next chapter. I am so grateful to everyone in the western art community who has made it a wonderful place to work, and I look forward to seeing you all along the western art trail in the years to come. —Kristin Hoerth
This Editor’s Letter appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.