Veteran art writer Ann Landi tells her story and talks art history with Paul while fielding participant questions about authenticity, what’s changed for women since the 90s, and why her website is unrivaled for arts coverage and content.
“I have artist friends who complain all the time about sexism. It’s changing, it’s like politics: it’s slow, it’s very slow. And it’s probably not where we want it to be yet, but it is getting there.”
Ann Landi is an arts writer, curator, and the founder/editor of the website Vasari21. Born and raised in the suburbs of New York and then in the city itself, Landi drew, painted, and wrote throughout high school. She matriculated at Princeton University as part of the institution’s first co-ed class, beginning in the Studio Art department but eventually switching to Art History. Landi graduated in 1978 and spent a year working for a book publisher before pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Art History from Columbia University. After graduating, Landi concentrated on copy editing and commercial writing, which led to work for periodicals including GQ Magazine, Travel & Leisure, and the now-defunct Manhattan, Inc. Landi briefly lived in San Francisco with her now ex-husband before moving back to New York City. She began writing about culture for the New York Time, the Wall Street Journal, and Art News, where she worked as contributing editor for seventeen years. In 2013 she founded her own site, Vasari21, a subscription-based platform with essays, interviews, and a range of practical information for working artists.