About Ms. Jen Bekman
Photo of Jen Bekman by Zach Klein.
Bio: The Short of It (Want more? Have a look at The Long of It)
Recent press, upcoming lectures + portfolio reviews, as well as links to articles I’ve written are below, following my short bio and the lovely, if somewhat somber, portrait of me taken by genius photographer Stefan Ruiz.
Jen Bekman | Founder: Jen Bekman Gallery, 20×200 + Hey, Hot Shot!
Jen Bekman is an art-dealer, curator, writer, and entrepreneur whose inventive approach to the art world has created new models for connecting artists and collectors. Her experience as an internet media executive informs a multi-faceted enterprise, including her eponymous Manhattan gallery (which pioneered the Lower East Side art scene upon its opening in 2003), the online endeavor 20×200 (a place to buy limited-edition fine-art prints at ridiculously affordable prices), and the international photography competition Hey, Hot Shot!
Jen Bekman’s projects have been featured in numerous international publications including, The New York Times, Art in America, Der Spiegel, Martha Stewart Living, and Wired. She frequently lectures and participates in panels about art, technology, media and marketing and is a popular portfolio reviewer at photo festivals. Her writing has appeared in GOOD Magazine and photo-eye Booklist. American Photo named her an Innovator of the Year in 2006 and she was honored with the Rising Star Award at Griffin Museum of Photography’s annual Focus Awards in 2008. 20×200 was recently named one of “America’s Most Promising Startups” by BusinessWeek.
Contact Info + Submissions Guidelines
Please note: Unsolicited artists’ submissions are regrettably not accepted, reviewed or acknowledged.
To contact me, email person AT personism DOT com or, if you must, phone the gallery: 212.219.0166. (But I really (really!) like email a lot better than phone calls.)
Submissions
Photographers may have their work considered for the gallery itself or 20×200 by entering our competition, Hey, Hot Shot!. Artists in other media may submit their work via 20×200, being sure to carefully follow the provided submission guidelines on the site.
Additionally, I review photography portfolios at several major events each year and jury competitions and exhibitions for other institutions on a regular basis.
Portrait by Stefan Ruiz for Foam Magazine
Recent Press
The New York Times (Thu.02.28.08)
Easing the Pain of Collecting by Julie Scelfo
Jen Bekman’s advice for entering the art market. (Multimedia: mp3 audio clip)
Where to Find Help includes many of my recommendations for buying art, online and in the real world.
Wired Magazine (03.08)
Home Improvements by Eric Smillie
Foam Magazine Issue #13 / searching (Winter.08)
Jen Bekman: Gallery Without Walls by Eric Miles (.pdf download)
Businessweek (02.06.08)
Creative Artists Confront Sales Anxiety by Kerry Miller
Turning a Creative Hobby into a Business by Kerry Miller (slideshow)
The Villager + Downtown Express (10.19.07)
Jen Bekman: Going on her nerve by Kelly Kingman
Upcoming Lectures, Panels + Portfolio Reviews
This year Jen will be jurying the Singular Image Prize for Center and is serving on the advisory committee for Blind Spot’s annual benefit auction on April 10th. This is also her third year participating in the Mentors’ Program for the School of Visual Arts’ Photography department.
Upcoming speaking engagements include a lecture at the The Minnesota Center for Photography (Feb 18.08) and a panel at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival (March 09.08) in Austin. She’ll be reviewing portfolios at The MCP (Feb 18.08), FotoFest (March 17-20.08) and Photo España (June 05-07.08 ).
In May she’ll be honored with the Rising Star Award from the Griffin Museum.
Articles by Jen Bekman
photo-eye Booklist (Fall 2007)
Minnesota to Paris – a conversation with Alec Soth about Paris Minnesota, his edition of Magnum Photos’ Fashion Magazine.
photo-eye Booklist (Summer 2007)
Where We Live – a review of the Getty exhibition and its accompanying catalog.
GOOD Magazine (Issue #3 May/June 2007)
Stimuli: Jen Bekman on Art – an article about art collecting and the Internet.
That 70s Girl by my mom