This Is What I Know About Art

Gr 7 Up–Drew, a writer, art curator, and activist, brings art to the people primarily via social media and other online platforms. In this short-but-powerful account, Drew presents a work that is part memoir and part treatise. She shares what it means to be a person of color in a predominately white field and describes her path through the art world, from college to internships to jobs at prestigious institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Drew uses her voice and her various platforms to highlight underrepresented artists, and push against the white norms and expectations that dominate the art world. Her enthusiasm and passion for the work of Black artists shines, and it is precisely this mélange of knowledge, emotions, and advocacy that will inspire young artists to persevere despite the obstacles. The text offers a window into her world; she spotlights some of the individual artists who she is most passionate about, providing insight into their work and their significance in the broader world. There’s a lot here to contemplate, reread, and explore, and it’s worth every minute.