Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Holcomb.
Hi Shelley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m originally from Mississippi and then earned a BFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. Since then, my art has been exhibited at institutions including the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, MOCA Los Angeles, the Jepson Center in Savannah, Attleboro Arts Museum, and Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills.
In 2014, I co-founded Curate LA with Alex Benzer. Since its founding, Curate LA has become the city’s most comprehensive art discovery platform, spotlighting the artists, galleries, and creative minds that define Los Angeles’s status as a global cultural center.
I also co-host Whits & Giggles alongside Whitney Gibson, a talk show on NTS Radio that fosters open discussions on s*x positivity, reproductive health, and contemporary issues through an artist-led lens. Seeking to normalize s*xuality from a female perspective, my collaborative work with Whitney explores topics of cultural norms, the human psyche, and an examination of all things s*xual through the eyes of two women of color.
I’m an artist, curator, writer, and cultural leader in Los Angeles. My work spans curation, storytelling, and advocacy, making art more accessible while fostering dialogue and community. By leveraging digital platforms and traditional media, I continue to push boundaries in how art is presented, discussed, and appreciated.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course not, lol. I’m a woman, and, unfortunately, I’m not a nepo baby. The biggest obstacles, I would say, facing us all today are white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism. The art world and market aren’t riddled with them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My practice explores art, critique, and community. My painting practice has acted as a mirror to the art world, exposing its consumerism through portraiture and questioning the commodification of creativity. Through painting, installations, and media, my work fosters self-reflection and challenges imposed narratives. I invite audiences to reconsider their world and their place within it.
My radio show Whits & Giggles extends this dialogue through radio. What began as candid conversations about s*x from a female perspective has evolved into an exploration of cultural norms, gender, and identity. In 2017, we co-created “ISP (Internal Service Provider)” at the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh. This immersive, retro-futuristic call center invited participants to share confessions in glowing pink phone booths. These anonymous recordings were then broadcast in museum restrooms, making visitors both voyeurs and exhibitionists. Rooted in performance, ISP responded to North Carolina’s restrictive laws against Trans rights, offering a space for s*xual truth and self-liberation.
What started as a small curatorial outlet for me grew into Curate LA, an indispensable online arts resource for Los Angeles. I’ve used this platform to elevate marginalized creative communities and make the L.A. art scene accessible to all. My commitment to accessibility, advocacy, and inclusivity ensures that emerging artists receive the recognition they deserve. In 2020, my team and I joined forces with the Future Left and released a report on 12 Los Angeles arts institutions called “UNMASK THE TOP: A Call for Museum Transparency & Diversity” in support of the global movement towards equity and justice — as unionization movements proliferate around the world, and after a nationwide summer of unrest for Black lives and social justice — Curate LA looked to its hometown arts institutions to assess the power and influence at the very top of their operations. We plan to do another round of this soon 🙂 You can read the report here: https://medium.com/@curate.LA/unmask-the-top-a-call-for-museum-transparency-diversity-65748dfd1f4a
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
App: Curate LA (and because I actually need it in my life)
Podcast/Radio show: NTS Radio (make sure to listen to Whits & Giggles)
Book: ‘Caliban and the Witch’ by Silvia Federici
Pricing:
- Support us by becoming a Curate LA Member, only $10/mo
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.curate.la
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelleyhol
- Other: https://buy.stripe.com/14kaEVfNQ1CYeGI9AQ
Image Credits
Shelley Holcomb portrait by Sandra Blow
Shelley Holcomb, “Class of 2020”, charcoal on paper
ISP (Internal Service Provider), installation view at CAM Raleigh, NC
DRIVE panel discussion at Hauser & Wirth, photo by Kobe Wagstaff
Screenshot of Curate LA website (designed by Alex Benzer)
