About ART TIMES:
Current, Brief and Long History:
Current History
I am so very excited to have published the last ART TIMES ink on paper and transitioned to being Green and Global with arttimesjournal exclusively online as of Summer 2016. Check back regularly for current announcements, blogs, videos, essays, advertisers’ information and up to date Calendar and Opportunity Listings. You can also read previously published profiles, editorials and essays Read more about our transition
Ways you can support our transition
Brief History
ART TIMES, founded in 1984, provides a quarterly commentary and resource for the fine and performing arts and includes: art editorials, art reviews, essays and critiques; short fiction and poetry; opportunities listings, essays on dance, theater, film, music and an extensive calendar of cultural events. ART TIMES Online carries the print information as well as additional essays and resources and can be found at www.arttimesjournal.com. The ART TIMES facebook and twitter page keeps fans up to date with new events, essays, and videos.
In 1984, Raymond J. Steiner (1933-2019) a writer and teacher with a background in art, philosophy and aesthetics and Cornelia Seckel ~ a teacher who also worked extensively in social service and career counseling had an idea to present the arts of the region in a literary journal that would serve as a resource for all of the arts, crossing geographical barriers, counties and states. After extensive research (if it was such a good idea why hadn't anyone done it? And if it had been done, why are they no longer in business?). Cornelia learned that two things made for success. A very strong singular vision and the determination and stamina to make it happen. The publication would be distributed freely at arts centers and galleries in the Northeastern part of the US with a concentration in the Hudson Valley Region and the Metropolitan New York area and be available by subscription and at select newsstands.
Because of the high literary quality and policy of separation between advertising and editorial, ART TIMES very early developed a reputation for excellence and integrity. In celebration of the 10th year of publishing, Cornelia Seckel and Raymond J. Steiner received a citation from Governor Cuomo of New York in recognition of their dedication and commitment to the artistic community. Up until the last several years ART TIMES gave the ART TIMES Cultural Achievement Award to organizations and individuals who have dedicated their lives to further the arts, thus enriching the quality of life for all.
The Long Version
By Cornelia Seckel
ART TIMES Summer 2013
This issue marks the beginning of our 30th year of publishing ART TIMES. Throughout the years we have met fine people, traveled to places I never expected to get to (e.g., Singapore and China), attended wonderful exhibitions, concerts, theater and dance performances. Doing this work has enriched my life, challenged and engaged my intellect, and fed my soul. I can only thank you, our readers and our advertisers, for encouraging us with your support. Raymond J. Steiner, co-founder, editor and arts writer makes sure that in each issue there are interesting essays, new poetry and short fiction for you to read. My job has always been to make the paper happen. I sell the ads, manage the business and create the final product in print and online. It is more work than I ever imagined but when I get feedback about how important the paper is to our readers I am encouraged to go on to the next issue.
 Cornelia laying out the first issue of ART TIMES, July 1984 |
I am often asked how ART TIMES got started and thought this to be a good time to repeat some of what I wrote in August 2003 for the beginning of our 20th year. 1984, the year we began ART TIMES, was one of the major turning points of my life. I had been Directing the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Career Education Program for several years (previous to that I taught English at the High School level and worked as a Counselor at several different facilities) and found that I wanted a new challenge. I had developed the Career Education Program as far as I could and felt that I (I was then getting close to 40 — you can do the math) needed to do something that gave me new skills and stretched my abilities. I was open to any number of possibilities and, I must add, impatient to get going with “something.” Raymond Steiner was writing profiles about artists for a variety of publications and organizations, one of them an arts council. It was taking an extraordinary amount of time for this particular council to pull their publication together and I, as was Ray, was anxious to see his profiles in print. It was probably March of 1984 when I approached this organization to inquire about the publication and was given a laundry list of problems that was preventing them from going to print. “What could be such a big deal?” I said. “You go around and get advertisement to pay for your costs, put the thing together and have it printed!” These were the first words that made ART TIMES a reality. Raymond and I started to toss the idea around of creating our own paper. I think it was his suggestion, he believes it was mine—we’ll never know. We wanted it to be a publication about all the arts, a resource and a literary journal with essays that would be of interest anywhere, crossing county and state lines. We’d give it away at art centers and galleries, bring it to the galleries in New York City, and, in essence, have it where people go who are already patrons and participants in the arts. We decided the support would be from advertisements since there were enough not-for-profit groups looking for funding. Well, if this was such a good idea why hadn’t anyone else done it? Next step was research. We talked to several people who had been in the region for many years and asked about publications that might have been similar in some ways to what we were thinking of. The only one that came close was “Ulster County Artist,” a magazine founded in the 1970’s when Ceta money existed and lots of projects were begun. Well, why did it fail? Firstly, Ceta money dried up and most of the staff was cut. Secondly, and I think even more importantly, Allen Epstein, the man with the vision, was working with a board and energies were too easily dissipated. The lesson for me was that it takes a single strong vision and a person with the stamina to make it continue to happen.
 Cornelia laying out the first issue of ART TIMES, July 1984 |
To tell you that the thought of cutting loose from a regular job, one with weekly paychecks and defined responsibilities, created anxiety for me is a gross understatement. Never had I felt so frightened of the unknown (well, perhaps a divorce when I was 30 still holds #1 spot). The support and encouragement from Raymond and the knowledge that we both could and would meet any challenge put to us moved me along. On May 15, 1984, an organization called All Women in Business (basically a support and networking group for women in business who eventually honored me for my courage in beginning ART TIMES) held an expo at the Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. I went to this expo and began methodically going around the room from right to left speaking with each woman and gaining strength from their achievements. Somewhere along the way I stopped saying that I was “thinking” of starting a publication and shifted to I am “going to” publish an Arts Journal for the region. I had made that transition when I got to a booth for Women’s News and met the publisher, Merna Popper. Merna was so excited with the idea and so supportive. She invited me to visit her at her office in Westchester and said she’d tell me everything I needed to know. She was so effusive and sure that I would be successful. I went to the office and spoke to everyone and began learning the language of the trade. I must interject here that I knew nothing about what it took to produce a newspaper; I had not even worked on a school paper or yearbook or substituted for a journalism teacher during my years as a HS teacher or substitute teacher. Five hours later, our heads spinning with all sorts of things to look at and study, we left — charged and ready to begin.
Raymond immediately got to work gathering experts in the various arts fields who were also fine writers. We started the incorporation process and I began to design what the paper would look like and what other resource information we would carry. So many things had to be decided. Ann Dulye, then President of Walden Printing Co., in Walden NY, sat with me and told me precisely what I needed to give her so that they could print the paper and Bob Mitchell, the Production Manager, carefully explained what I needed to do in order to get the exact results that I wanted. Since May of 1994 Southern Dutchess News in Wappingers Falls has printed ART TIMES with excellent results.
Vol. 1 No. 1, August 1984, came out on July 15, 1984 with the typesetting and printing costs met by our advertisers. 30 years later, with the support of our advertisers and subscribers, ART TIMES has become, as many say, the only honest voice in the art world today.
Thank you all for your kind words of support, your advertising and your subscriptions. It is truly a blessing to do that which nourishes not only my own soul but the soul of our culture.
PS. Now that we are publishing in print quarterly and uploading new essays, videos and resources online each month— often more frequently. I've acquired new skills and truly appreciate the support of my web and social media tutors and the members of the webmasters users group who so generously help me out when the website and internet starts to defeat me. Living and learning, that seems to be the way to stay young (well not stale!)