Hey, I’m Katy.
I am an arts professional.
My focus is art writing, consulting, and teaching as an adjunct professor. I work with various publications, galleries, artists, and private clients and write art reviews, essays, and use curated language for social branding, press releases, and marketing.
My Approach
Generative
My goal as a journalist is to maintain a high level of integrity. I report on what I see and critique it based on my years of knowledge and experience looking at art on a global scale. Writing is a form of communication and is consumable through the eyes of the reader. Art can be a conundrum for many and using language is a map that one can access for entry and direction.
Collaborative
I believe in the power of collaboration to create exceptional writing. I have worked with some of the best art editors and artists in the business. While I bring my expertise to the table, all of my clients’ opinions matter. The goal is for our collaboration to yield results.
Image artwork by Marcus Brutus, “Li Dous Konsa” (2023), Art for Change, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY
Q & A with Katy Diamond Hamer
Where are you from?
I grew up in Floral Park, New York (the city where Robert Mapplethorpe was born!). I went to FIT for undergrad and to NYU Steinhardt School of Education for grad school. I have never lived outside of New York, well, not for more than 3 months. I feel grateful to be a part of the city that never sleeps…we are the art world capital.
How did you get into art writing?
I studied Illustration and Studio Art but started writing poetry and diaristic texts in high school. Writing followed me everywhere and was a huge part of my life. In 2007 I started the blog eyes-towards-the-dove which wasn’t necessarily meant to be found, and referenced European Art History and the symbolism of the Italian Renaissance specifically. I was fascinated by the portrayal of saints in Renaissance paintings and how they often looked skyward towards the spirit dove. These paintings were meant to be didactic tools for people who couldn’t read, but knew how to recognize ‘characters’ based on how they were consistently rendered. It was through my writing about art on the blog that I first started to gain attention from people in the industry.
Can we work together?
Of course! I’d love to work together. I suggest contacting me using the “book a consultation” button on the home page to express your needs and how I can help. I have been writing about art now for 15 years and delight in writing about exhibitions, events, performances, and more. I have also helped artists with writing bios and statements. Occasionally an artist needs help contextualizing their work so that others can more easily enter their practice and intentions. This can be done through writing.
What universities do you teach at?
I love teaching!!! It’s such a gift to be able to share my—largely obscure to most people— knowledge with students who are interested. I teach at New York University, Sotheby’s Institute, and have also been a guest speaker at Columbia University. In addition to teaching I’ve been part of panels at SVA, New York Academy of Art, and Rizzoli Bookstore, Art Basel Miami, and others.
Do you charge by the word or by the project?
This depends on the scope of the project. Largely, most publications pay per word and I have done this with clients who request a particular length. Otherwise, we can work hourly or by project. I also have clients on retainer. There are options and we can make it work for your budget.
What is your favorite art movement?
I will never forget the first time I saw Arte Povera: From Zero to Infinity at the Tate Modern in the summer of 2001. I was in London working for a program that accommodated American students interning and taking classes at Cavendish College. I went to the Tate on my day off and stood in wonder below a sculpture of Fibonacci Numbers in neon by Mario Merz. Arte Povera artists strove to find ways to represent the body and nature while often using unexpected sometime industrial materials. They were reacting and responding to the Italian Renaissance and Italian art that was before the 1960s. In 1968 the late curator Germano Celant coined the term Arte Povera which translates to poor art.