This issue marks 20 years of celebrating young artists
By Kristin Hoerth
Lavender by Paul Rosiak, one of this year’s “21 Under 31” artists.
This story was featured in the September 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
EVERY YEAR, the September issue is one of my favorites for two big reasons: There are so many great fall shows and auctions to preview, and we get to publish our annual “21 Under 31” story featuring young artists. I’m proud to say that this month marks the 20th anniversary of this popular story.
The idea for “21 Under 31” first surfaced at an editorial meeting sometime in late 1999, when the beginning of the 21st century was a major topic of conversation (remember Y2K?). Everyone wanted to find a memorable way to celebrate the new millennium, and so the editors conceived a yearlong Millennium Series; for the September 2000 issue on emerging artists, we wanted to turn the spotlight on 21 young artists for the 21st century. One of the editors—I no longer remember which one—suggested the catchy “under 31” idea, and the concept was cemented.
There were times, in those early years, when we wondered what we’d gotten ourselves into. An artist in their twenties is often still pursuing an education, or just beginning to enter the professional art world; he or she is not necessarily likely to be represented by galleries or participating in major shows quite yet. All of which means that—particularly in the early 2000s, when the internet was in its early days—finding good candidates for the story could be challenging. We spent countless hours calling art schools, ateliers, and workshop instructors, asking for tips and suggestions (and requesting slides of artwork!). We still do that today, but in much more efficient ways.
Looking back over two decades, it’s gratifying to see how many talented folks we discovered when they were just starting out, and how many of our “alums” have gone on to establish successful art careers. Jeremy Lipking, Kathryn Mapes Turner, and Daniel Keys are just a few of today’s stars who saw some of their first national publicity in the “21 Under 31” story. Many of the artists have told us that they’ve been contacted by galleries about representation after the story is published each year. I’m happy that we were able to pay attention to these up-and-comers and contribute, in a small way, to their progress.
At the same time, we’ve introduced you, our readers, to some very promising painters and sculptors over the years, giving you a chance to purchase exciting new artwork that’s often very affordable. In doing so, you’re helping to nurture the next generation of creative talent, and that kind of patronage is always worthwhile. We hope to bring you many more of these opportunities in the future.
This story was featured in the September 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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