Art Historian Hall Rockefeller is bringing awareness to the “unsung heroines” in the visual arts world–Join me in a conversation with Hall as she helps to tell “herstory” through her Salon and upcoming course for Art Collectors.

Resources for this episode include Hall Rockefeller’s Less than Half, and the writer Beth Gersh-Nesic. Please learn more about Hall’s salon and upcoming course for Art collectors at Lessthanhalf. Hall has an engaging presence on Instagram–please follow her at including her @all.the.lady.artists and her new initiative Fair Art 2030 IG handle is @fairart2030

Image Credit: Less Than Half Salon

Script: Episode 138: Hall Rockefeller: “Less Than Half”—A Contemporary Salon

Hall Rockefeller is an art historian and the founder of “Less than Half,” an art criticism website covering profiles of American artists. Hall and I connected through Instagram through our shared enthusiasm for women artists—we both leverage this deep passion we have for women and their contributions to the visual art world bringing awareness to underrepresented artists—women especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ artists. Here is a compelling fact that Hall notes on her website, “Despite the fact that 70% of MFA recipients are female, only 14% of artists with gallery representation are women.” Hall is actively closing that disparity through Less than Half Salon, a supportive community of artists, curators, gallerists, collectors and art lovers.  Its inception is drawn from Hall’s personal experience, her “encounters with women artists…seeing the breadth and depth of her work…Hall says “it thrills me at a cellular level.—the heart palpitations I feel when I crack open a new artist biography or walk into an exhibition of an artist I never heard of.”

Less than Half Salon is a virtual platform. The salon—allow me to digress for just a moment, for those who are unaware of what a salon is and its history–Salon is “derived from the French word salon (a living room or parlor) means a conversational gathering. Usually, this select group of intellectuals, artists, and politicians would meet in the private residence of a socially influential person—historically numerous women have presided over salons in France and England since the 17^th century. The American novelist and playwright Gertrude Stein was known for her salon in Paris where Picasso, Matisse and other creative people would meet to discuss art, literature, politics and no doubt themselves.” The female artist Louise Bourgeois held Sunday Salons in her Chelsea townhouse, open to anyone; artists could bring their work and get feedback from Bourgeois.

Hall’s engaging salon encompasses monthly live conversations with artists and other art experts,–Hall, herself, leads inspired conversations that go deeper with monthly themes, art analysis, optional reading groups. Hall offers insights into what is happening in the art world—“a curated roundup of news that will keep you in the know” There is a new member spotlight (gives everyone a chance to hear what people are doing and thinking about”, an art marketplace for artists to show their work.)

Hall and I recently met in New York over breakfast—Hall is so engaging, we had so much fun sharing our consumed love for art and women—we are not studio artists, our participation in the art world begins as the spectator, the viewer, as we enter into the compelling space between ourselves and a work of art. We want to bring others with us; we want to bring you alongside us, to dive deeper into the visual world, to bring inclusivity to the canon of art…to experience the astonishing beauty of women’s lives, the female perspective defined through works of art.

With that, I welcome you to my conversation with Hall Rockefeller.