They make a way. - Maryland Institute College of Art

Jordan Faye Block ’05 MFA, MT. ROYAL SCHOOL OF ART
Owner, Jordan Faye Contemporary / Baltimore, MD
“Art is transformational, so when you take a space and you
hang a gorgeous painting or place a sculpture, it’s more than
just the object in the room, but the feeling and what it emanates.
I love transforming space and I get to be creative, even if I’m
not picking up a paint brush.”
While Jordan Faye Block was in the Mount Royal
program from 2003 to 2005, she had an epiphany
about many of her fellow artists. Some of her peers
were not very comfortable with the marketing
and promotion of their work. Block, on the other
hand, enjoyed selling the talents of others and
helping them to succeed, and in 2006, she decided
to do so on a professional basis.
Through the Jordan Faye Contemporary gallery in
Baltimore, Block represents 15 artists at different
stages in their careers. She works passionately
to give them a broader audience through gallery
exhibitions, art fairs, and the Internet. She also
promotes emerging artists through The Salon
Series, exhibitions in which any artist can present
his or her work in a professional gallery setting
while learning the intricacies of selling, marketing,
and curating artwork.
FOR BLOCK, SELLING ARTWORK IS NOT JUST
ABOUT THE MONEY. IT’S ABOUT FINDING PEOPLE
SHE BELIEVES IN AND SHOWCASING THEM.
She has also taken her craft on the road,
participating in art fairs in Miami, Washington, DC,
and San Francisco. “I want to focus on getting my
ENLIGHTENMENT
artists into museum shows outside of the Baltimore
area if that will help their careers,” she said.
One of Block’s greatest challenges has been wearing
a number of hats. To get the business started, she
had to create a business plan, decide which artists
she wanted to show, visit studios, collaborate with
artists, find a location, and market the gallery—
tasks not always considered to be part of a working
artist’s life. Yet her artistic background at MICA
helped prepare her for success. For example, her art
background has boosted her marketing efforts. She
has been able to create more effective marketing
materials because she has the eye of an artist, she said.
MICA also introduced Block to a network of people,
some of whom she represents, including Janna
Rice ’95 (Photography) and Kate MacKinnon ’92
(Painting). While at MICA, she learned firsthand
the intricacies of life as an artist, which helps
her better understand the needs of those she
represents. While someone with a strictly business
background might talk about art from a purely
intellectual standpoint, Block knows what it’s like
to work in a studio, trying to get an artistic vision
onto a canvas.
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
87