Spotlight Editorial
Shared Histories: Benny & Cristian on Following Your Instincts and Building a Collection
Benny Or & Cristian Shoemaker's art collecting journey began organically, but they didn't start to consider themselves “collectors" until recently. Through their art-filled home in Brooklyn, they have cultivated an environment that inspires creativity and serves as a regular reminder of the beauty in the world. Join us as we explore the stories, inspirations, and shared vision behind their unique art collection.
Our Monthly Team Selections: April 2024
In honor of Earth Day, the Testudo team has chosen 5 pieces from our collection considering the themes of climate and conservation. From the magic of reclaimed materials to poetic tributes to our natural world, these artworks evoke the beauty and urgency of our planet’s story. Each work invites us to connect deeper with our environment and ponder our relationship with nature.
Drawing as a Mirror: Sarah Grass's Studio Spotlight
Sarah Grass’s drawings are a testament to the profound connection between inner experience and external form, embodied in the ever-shifting symbolism of a shapeshifting dachshund. With soft colors and intricate linework, the Chilean-American artist treads complex regions of human consciousness. Join us on our visit to Sarah’s Ridgewood, Queens studio for a behind-the-scenes look at her meditative drawing practice.
Four Highlights from the 81st Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is one of the country’s most closely watched exhibitions. Each iteration aspires to take the temperature of contemporary practice: anointing new stars, uncovering overlooked talents, and more often than not, stirring up some controversy or another. This year’s edition, titled “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” opened to the public on March 20. Here are four standout presentations from this year’s biennial – the works that made me crouch down, lean in, and stand back.
Our Monthly Team Selections: March 2024
Only 38% of the artists represented by galleries globally were female despite near even representation at art schools. At Testudo, women represent more than half our artists. This Women’s History Month, we’re shining a spotlight on some of our team's favorite pieces from Testudo.
Documenting the Experience of Black Cowboys: A Conversation with Charles Lee
Photographer Charles Lee speaks with Emily Wilson about his first solo exhibition at SF Camerawork, sweat+dirt. The two discuss his unwavering commitment to document the Black experience in the American West, which has a cultural history that long predates the archetype of the Marlboro man. His fascination with the subject began not long after his cousin, a Zydeco musician, introduced him to the Black Cowboy Parade in West Oakland.
Hana Yilma Godine's 'A Brush in the Universe' Transcends Time and Place
From her studio in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, painter Hana Yilma Godine speaks about her latest solo show in New York City at two locations: The Fridman Gallery on the Bowery and the Rachel Uffner Gallery on the Lower East Side. Godine discusses her educational journey, process, and the themes in her work.