I founded Less Than Half because as a lover of art, I saw how much the story of art history left out the fascinating careers and accomplishments of women. In my eyes, this was not just unfair, but a disservice to art lovers like me: an art history that is not inclusive of women artists is lying by omission. I wanted to see the whole story, which launched my career as an art writer and researcher of women artists, both past and present. 

In my talks with contemporary artists, I saw that the imbalance present in history had not been corrected and was, unfortunately, also present in the contemporary art market: astonishingly, women artists make up only 3% of the auction market. 

At the same time, I was speaking with other women who were similarly enthusiastic about righting these historic wrongs, but unsure of how to start their collection and begin supporting women artists. I took my knowledge of the art market, gleaned from building my own collection, and decided to be the one to help them. 

We are about to welcome a new cohort of Less Than Half members to begin the adventure of learning how to navigate the art market through our online curriculum. I can’t wait to have these newly minted Matrons of the Arts discover the absolute pleasure it is to uncover and identify new artists, to live with art, to develop their taste, and above all to build the world that honors and celebrates female creativity. 

I hope you will join us on this journey!

Yours,
Hall W. Rockefeller