Demystifying Art - The Art Assignment
“Sarah Urist Green is a curator and art educator seeking to demystify the worlds of art, artists, and museums for wide audiences. Green is the creator of The Art Assignment, an educational web series developed in partnership with PBS and Complexly. Since launching in 2013, The Art Assignment has grown to become one of the most widely viewed and respected art education projects online, with over 500,000 subscribers and nearly 30 million total views.”
She is in the fourth class of the MDLF Fellowship.
1. Which episode has been your favorite to create and why?
Sarah: The “Art Trip” episodes have been my favorite to make, as they’ve taken me to so many fascinating places, including Tijuana, Mexico, the Utah desert, and Venice, Italy, among many other locales. I love the challenge of seeing as much art as possible in a few days and sharing that adventure with others. In Utah, we visited some of the best known land art sites like Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt and Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson, but we also visited with a younger artist who took us to a salt mine, and flew our drone camera over the Bonneville Salt Flats. In Tijuana, we shadowed an artist group who were designing mobile seating and sun shades for people waiting in line to cross the border between Mexico and the US, often as part of their daily routines. With and through artists, I’ve met so many people I never would have otherwise, and gone places I never would have imagined. “Art Cooking” episodes are my second favorite, because I get to explore the lives and eating habits of artists all from the comfort of my home kitchen.
2. With your success of 30 million views and half a million subscribers, where do you plan to take this in the future?
Sarah: The channel is currently on hiatus after six straight years of producing bi-weekly content. The team and I were exhausted after running on the YouTube treadmill for so long and needed a break to recharge the creative engine. Right now, I’m researching future directions, including an online course series geared toward learning the AP Art History curriculum, and also bringing in new voices to expand the series beyond my own perspective and areas of expertise. While the YouTube algorithm wants you to keep churning out videos, I think it’s critical to take time off in order to think clearly and assess where you are and where you’re going. In the meantime, I’m continuing to work on the other educational video series I produce, Ours Poetica, made in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.
3. What is a memorable anecdote or funny story you have kept with you since creating this huge educational success?
Sarah: I both love and hate the YouTube comment sections of our videos. There are plenty of trolls and haters, but for the most part The Art Assignment has a delightful and diverse global community. The comments I relish most are when someone doesn’t necessarily agree with my opinion, but respects it anyway. For example, in response to our video “The Case for Yoko Ono,” someone commented: “I appreciate the positivity of these videos. I REALLY dislike Yoko Ono's art, but I am happy that there are people willing to defend it.” Or here’s one response to “The Case for Minimalism”: “Still don't like minimalism just aesthetically but these are great points and can get behind this 100%!” The internet can be a toxic space full of extremism and rage, but it’s comments like these that remind me it has the potential to be a place where we can come together and respect each other’s opinions.
4. How do you decide on a topic for a video -what does your creative process look like?
Sarah: I try to think about what’s missing in the educational space I’m focused on, namely art history and contemporary art. What are the topics that haven’t been addressed, or what are the angles that haven’t been explored on popular topics? In coming up with a schedule for the series, I try to have a balance of videos, some of which I think are important to make but that might attract smaller audiences (How Climate Changes Art), and others that I think might draw wider audiences (Behind the Banksy Stunt). I make long lists of potential episode topics and weigh many factors when determining the schedule, including equity and representation, current events, collaborations, sponsorships, and workload. Remarkably, there is no correlation between the amount of time and effort it takes to create a video and its ultimate success, and you never really know which videos are going to take off. We try to stay nimble and evolve with the pace of the internet, which is extremely fast!
5. Any words of advice or insight you can give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and create a successful, educational (online) tool like you?
Sarah: It’s important to respect your audience and create content that you yourself would enjoy. I like educational content that is clear and concise, but not devoid of nuance. People can handle complicated ideas, so long as you explain them in a straightforward way and without jargon. Also, listen to your audience, and don’t be afraid to shift course if what you’re doing isn’t working.
6. What were the main factors that contributed to you applying to be a MDLF Fellow and how do you think this Fellowship will help you in the future?
Sarah: I’ve spent the last seven years focused on national and international audiences, and I’m eager to learn more about my city and state. There are so many ways that art and artists can positively impact communities, and I’m hoping to discover the potential ways my areas of expertise might overlap with the needs of those of who live closer to home. Through this fellowship, I hope to become better connected to the change makers in Indiana, and look for ways I can involve my work with local individuals, communities, and organizations.