Introducing Eliza Ali, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ART SHE SAYS
Eliza Ali
Meet Eliza, Founder and Editor-in-chief of ART SHE SAYS the leading media platform for women in the art world. They deliver the ultimate curation of luxury content, exclusive networking events, art advisory services, career advice, and leadership coaching to cultivate a brand new era of women in the arts, giving a voice to emerging and established artists, curators, designers, collectors, art dealers, and innovators.
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“I’m the founder and Editor-in-Chief of ART SHE SAYS, the leading media platform for women in the art world. We are based in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Our goal is to elevate the voices of women artists, art dealers, curators, entrepreneurs, innovators, and more…”
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Before setting up in the art world you worked in entertainment law – how has this influenced the way you work now and what lessons did you learn?
I learned the essential knowledge about legal writing and contracts. Some of the clients I worked with were in the art industry which helped me get a specific understanding on how to write legal documents for my own company. Working at a law firm is very formal, so I received the type-A training that is useful for any field. It was also very inspirational to be exposed to many different facets of the arts and be surrounded by power women along the way.
It is your mission to bring women to the forefront of the art world, particularly those who embody the “artrepreneur”, can you tell us a bit more about how you go about this?
We highlight influential and emerging women through creative and editorial content across our website and social media. We also have cultivated an offline community called the Collector’s Club, to bring women together for events about art collecting and women’s empowerment. Finally, we are also an art advisory that promotes women artists and sells their work either through pop-up shows or online collections.
What are your future goals for the brand?
To make an impact for women around the world through art, inspiration, and community and to bring the luxuries of art to everyday life.
What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since setting up Art She Says? Everything in life is transient - including money.
Who have been some of your notable collaborators or events been with?
Space Gallery St Barth has been a great collaborator from the very beginning - we hosted our magazine launch party at their gallery in Soho on International Women’s Day in March 2019. Another noteworthy event was our Collector’s Club dinner honoring the Global Managing Director of Christie’s Auction House who gave us very inspirational tips on how to be the most powerful woman in the room. Our event last summer with the Black ‘Voices’ exhibition in Chelsea and the conversations around it was also very compelling and memorable.
Eliza Ali
Like finance, the art world has a reputation for having a ‘boys club’ mentality – what are your thoughts on this?
A lot of the big art world players have always been men - both art dealers and artists. While in recent years museums and galleries have been more conscious of representation with female artists however they still only make up 2% of the market. My friends at auction houses would say that the top executives are usually men as well, while the assistant roles are usually women. I have to argue, though, a lot of the positions women usually take have been socialized for us to accept. We tend to undervalue our worth -- and it is our job as women to take what we want and not wait for anyone else to hand it to us.
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in business? If so, how have you dealt with them?
I think for me, at times my challenge is more about my youth than my gender. When you’re a young woman, there’s a box that people put you in and you have to prove yourself or overcompensate to get recognized as a serious businesswoman. At the end of the day, it’s all about the way you carry yourself: people are always drawn towards the most confident person in the room.
What are your 5 go-to tips for running your business?
Trust your instincts.
Meet at least 1 new person a week.
Practice kaizen (small improvements along the way).
Write down your goals for the day every morning and visualize the outcome.
Be confident.
What are your most valuable business resources?
Instagram, Wordpress, and Mailchimp.
How does ART SHE SAYS generate revenue?
Art sales, advertising, membership fees
Describe your relationship with money and personal finance:
I always remind myself that I love money and that we should all maintain a positive relationship at the thought of money to avoid undervaluing our worth.
How do you define wealth?
Wealth = inner peace and happiness.
What is the best financial decision you have ever made?
Investing in myself.
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What did you learn about finance and money when you were growing up?
My parents had a negative outlook about money growing up, which is always a difficult generational dysfunction to grow out of. I taught myself how to look outside of the box and rethink the way I connect with money in a more positive way - it’s been a serious game-changer for my bank account.
Who manages the finances in your household?
Me. I probably need an accountant soon.
Which area of finance do you wish you knew more about?
I wish I knew more about cryptocurrency.
What’s your guilty pleasure purchase?
I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures… but if I had to choose it would be these skull slippers by my fave menswear designer.
What’s your money secret?
Visualise how much you want to make per month then act on it.
What does a typical ‘day in the life’ look like for you?
Wake up at 5am to answer calls/emails from London and Milan. Go back to bed. Wake up at 10am to start the rest of my day here in New York, which consists of more meetings, calls, answering emails, editing articles, delegating projects to my freelancers, speaking to art dealers and collectors, doing art market research, conducting interviews, and creating content for social media and newsletters. And if I’m being brutally honest, I do it all from the comfort of my bed these days. Ha!
Who is your role model?
At the moment it’s Christie’s auctioneer Lydia Fenet, who’s also a mentor.
What are your top tips for staying grounded?
Own your vulnerabilities and don’t compare your journey to anyone else.
What’s next for you?
Would love to live in Paris for 6 months.
Speaking of your art choices, what are your ‘go to’ tips when starting a collection?
One tip: Buy what you love.
Which pieces of art are on your current wish list?
Anything by Donna Huanca and Johanna Dumet (who is our next online collection).
Top 5 female artists to follow?
Website and social network links:
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Recommended READING and LISTENING?
Reading: Stealing Rembrandts, a book about art heists.
Listening: The Inspirati, a podcast created by my friend Alex Merrell, who interviews creatives around the world.