Career Journey
Publishing through the Decades
Interview with Cornelia Seckel, publisher of ART TIMES Journal, arts advocate & public speaker
July 2018
Interview with Cornelia Seckel, publisher of ART TIMES Journal, arts advocate & public speaker
July 2018
Cornelia Seckel
About Cornelia:
Cornelia Seckel is the publisher of ART TIMES, a publication she co-founded with Raymond J. Steiner in 1984 that serves the cultural corridor of the Northeast. ART TIMES (arttimesjournal.com), printed quarterly through the Summer 2016 issue and now exclusively online with new resources and essays each month, is the go-to source for “creatives” and those who appreciate good writing. Her work has always been with people and information - connecting people with themselves, other individuals and organizations - whether teaching secondary school, working at crisis intervention centers or working as a career counselor.
Currently, Cornelia is affiliated with the following organizations: The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) as Honorary Vice President and Board member, Board member of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, Artists Fellowship, Inc., AWE: Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, NYC, the Salmagundi Club and NOW.
In addition to her work with ART TIMES, she frequently judges and/or juries art shows.
Cornelia Seckel is the publisher of ART TIMES, a publication she co-founded with Raymond J. Steiner in 1984 that serves the cultural corridor of the Northeast. ART TIMES (arttimesjournal.com), printed quarterly through the Summer 2016 issue and now exclusively online with new resources and essays each month, is the go-to source for “creatives” and those who appreciate good writing. Her work has always been with people and information - connecting people with themselves, other individuals and organizations - whether teaching secondary school, working at crisis intervention centers or working as a career counselor.
Currently, Cornelia is affiliated with the following organizations: The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) as Honorary Vice President and Board member, Board member of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, Artists Fellowship, Inc., AWE: Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, NYC, the Salmagundi Club and NOW.
In addition to her work with ART TIMES, she frequently judges and/or juries art shows.
About ART TIMES:
ART TIMES Journal (arttimesjournal.com) is the go-to source for writers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, actors and musicians as well as people looking for calendar listings, opportunity listings, arts schools, theater auditions, juried art shows, performance locations and writing competitions. The publication is updated frequently and has vibrant art essays about painting, sculpting, drawing, film, theater, dance, music, book reviews, poetry, short fiction and resources, including a calendar of cultural events and opportunity listings for creatives. Guest writers from around the world contribute poetry, short fiction and their thoughts to the popular “Speak Out” column.
Cornelia shares, “We are confident that our decision in June 2016 to publish exclusively online was a good one, since now we provide a global stage, not only our advertisers, but for our ever-growing cultural community of creatives as well. And, what could be better than going green by eliminating the spread of more paper products? We hope that readers will engage with arttimesjournal.com, follow and like us in all social media outlets and spread the word for us. We took a leap of faith and are counting on our readers’ continued support.”
ART TIMES Journal (arttimesjournal.com) is the go-to source for writers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, actors and musicians as well as people looking for calendar listings, opportunity listings, arts schools, theater auditions, juried art shows, performance locations and writing competitions. The publication is updated frequently and has vibrant art essays about painting, sculpting, drawing, film, theater, dance, music, book reviews, poetry, short fiction and resources, including a calendar of cultural events and opportunity listings for creatives. Guest writers from around the world contribute poetry, short fiction and their thoughts to the popular “Speak Out” column.
Cornelia shares, “We are confident that our decision in June 2016 to publish exclusively online was a good one, since now we provide a global stage, not only our advertisers, but for our ever-growing cultural community of creatives as well. And, what could be better than going green by eliminating the spread of more paper products? We hope that readers will engage with arttimesjournal.com, follow and like us in all social media outlets and spread the word for us. We took a leap of faith and are counting on our readers’ continued support.”
Myrna Beth Haskell, managing editor, spoke with Cornelia about her decades-long journey in the publishing industry, her initial struggles the first few years after the launch of ART TIMES, and why being immersed in the arts community has enriched her life.
Tell me about the inspiration behind launching ART TIMES.
It really came from my being dissatisfied with the work I was doing. I had worked as a high school English teacher and as a counselor before directing a shadowing program designed by the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Career Education Program. I soon realized that I had no power to move it in the direction I wanted it to go. Plus, the funding for the program was beginning to phase out. I wanted to have more purpose and meaning in my life. My soul’s work has always been networking and gathering information. Making connections is who I am, and being a publisher was perfect for this.
Why publish an arts journal?
The arts is where Ray [Cornelia’s husband and editor of ART TIMES] stepped in. He was already writing about artists for some local publications. In 1984, Ray was trying to place his work in an arts council publication. They kept coming back with reasons it couldn’t be done, such as not having enough money to typeset. We wanted more of Ray’s work to get out there, so we started to think about doing it ourselves. There was nothing that addressed all of the arts, including resources for artists, in our region. I had no knowledge of publishing, graphics or anything about printing and distribution, but I remember thinking, ‘How hard can this be?’
But it wasn’t until I attended a convention for women in business held at the Civic Center in Poughkeepsie that I truly realized that I was going to move forward with this. I think it was the support of seeing other women in business that pushed me to think I CAN do this. I spoke to Merna Popper, who was the publisher of a women’s publication in Westchester, NY, and she seemed very excited with my concept and was willing to share information with me about how to get started.
You decided to work on the journal full-time. Did you leave full-time employment elsewhere, and, if so, how scary was that?
Actually, it was scary as hell. I barely slept that first year.
I kept my job as director of the shadowing program for the first twelve months. Fortunately, there was a lot of flexibility. We talked to anyone and everyone who was willing to give us information. We spoke to a graphic artist at one point. Cornelia laughs as she continues…I actually didn’t realize he was a graphic artist at the time, and I said to him, ‘You learn the tools, you have good aesthetics…how hard can it be?’
Ray gathered the writers – experts in their fields – so there wasn’t much editing to do, and I forged forward looking for advertising dollars and trying to figure everything else out. The manager who handled the printing aspect at the shop we were using told me to treat him like a kindergartner. I should say that I wanted a photo mid-way down a page, for instance. I did this until I learned the ‘language.’
What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome the first year or two that the journal was in print?
Ray and I did the distribution ourselves. It took five days! We drove down to Manhattan and also delivered in several counties - Dutchess, Ulster and Green. The other issue was ad sales. It never worked to have someone else sell the ads. At first, I was looking for businesses who would benefit from the exposure – those who should want to support us – arts organizations, etc. But they were dealing with their own stuff. Money was tight. CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act which often supported visual and performing arts programs in the 1970s) money was drying up. The initial support was very meager.
I was doing all the prep work. We didn’t have a copy machine or a computer at first. Ray did the initial typing, and then I would go to the typesetter which was a laborious process. I might be working on an ad, and then the typesetter would give me text, and it would wind up being too big or too small…so I would have to drive to a copy machine that had the ability to shrink or enlarge it. Part of the process was using this light-sensitive paper, so you couldn’t leave it out in the sun or it turned everything brown. A stack camera took photos of the boards you laid out - you had to reserve a spot for photos because the images were done separately. There was a week of actual preparation to get the issue ready.
We put out twelve issues that first year and received just enough ads to cover the cost of printing.
At first, you and your husband were doing everything on your own. How did things evolve as the magazine grew in popularity? Did you need extra help, and, if yes, how did you find this help?
It was just the two of us at first. Ray did a lot of the writing, worked with the other writers and did the finances. The artists would provide the photos. We were just black and white which made things a bit easier. I worked on garnering the advertising and working with the typesetter. We did hire some part-time secretarial staff to do data entry. Over the years, we hired some interns to help, but only two stood out. It wound up being more work than it was worth. We had to put in a lot of time to train them. We would have some who would just not show up or who wouldn’t stay for long. Our offices were in our home, and we couldn’t offer them a possibility for a full-time position afterward.
What is your marketing philosophy?
If you’re a publication with a small, local market, it can be easier to get advertising dollars. A global market can be too dispersed. Local publications can generate ads from any type of business – not just those in the arts – because you have the local community supporting their neighboring businesses and wanting information about local happenings. We never even thought about revenue back then. We were promoting all of the arts, and the arts organizations and artists became our community.
I’m persuasive and persistent. I see advertising as a problem-solving issue, not an ad-selling issue. You might have an event that you need to get out into the world, or you might need to advertise a call for entries for an arts contest, and I’m the one who can do that for you. I’ve turned down advertising because it didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t see how we could help with promotion for a particular organization, for instance. We’ve also never done editorial advertising, such as a full-page ad.
The ART TIMES went “green” two years ago. What was that like and what was the hardest thing about choosing to go online ONLY? What was the BEST thing?
Going online only freed me up timewise and also financially. The printing and distribution costs were really becoming a financial strain for us. Cornelia’s voice breaks. It is clear she misses her print publication. I miss the print version. There is something about holding a product you are so proud of in your hands.
The publishing industry has had to adapt to the vast changes that have occurred since the Internet and online publishing have literally transformed how people are getting their information. In your opinion, how has the reader perspective changed over the years? Many in the industry have claimed that reader attention span is dwindling. Do you agree? Is there still a place for in-depth features and well-researched articles?
Our readers are of an older age group – I’d say the middle-aged bracket or older – and these folks are reading the in-depth pieces. I don’t see our publication being as attractive to a twenty-year-old artist. Do I wish it would be? Yes. People just don’t have the attention span these days, and there is just so much information out there…and a lot of it is garbage.
We started discussing the reality of having to compete with this vast amount of accessible information and the difficulty in trying to stand out among the mire.
Ray gets the London Review of Books and articles go on for pages in a nine point font. She laughs. I don’t have that kind of attention span. But I do hope that there will always be a place for lengthy well-written features.
Can you tell me about one experience that stands out to you?
I remember when I went down to Walden Printing Company for the first time to explore my printing options. I took a friend with me. This was a woman-owned company, and I kept thinking the whole way down that she was going to say something like, ‘Why don’t you girls just go home and do something you know how to do?’ This was a real fear…that I wouldn’t be taken seriously due to my lack of knowledge. Then, she told me what a wonderful idea it was - it turned out that she was a patron of the arts.
Any scary publishing disasters over the years?
In October 1989, Giovanni Piranesi’s (an Italian painter from the 1700s) work was on our front page. When the page came back from the printer, it didn’t look right to me. The artwork was printed backwards! We were printing about 28,000 papers at one point, and it was in all the papers I had already brought down to Manhattan. I kept thinking thank goodness he wasn’t around to see it.
Well, what was really significant about this for me was when Ray and I went down to the city for a publishers conference sometime afterward. We were attending this fancy reception at the top of the Empire State Building, and I’m chatting with total strangers as I usually do. I’m telling this man about our mishap, and he regales me with an even more shocking story. He said that a photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and President Reagan was printed in his publication so that President Reagan was on the wrong side (I think he was on the right instead of the left). They had to pull all of the copies and reprint them! I found out I was talking to the art director of Newsweek. I thought, ‘If this could happen to him, I’m covered. I’ve arrived!’
How has your work as a publisher enriched your personal life?
I’ve met fabulously interesting people – creative people, celebrities. The chance to interact with all of these incredible people has been heartwarming. I’ve been to places I would have never been to - I went to Singapore! I’ve been to all kinds of museums, exhibitions and shows for free because I’m there to publicize an event. These vast cultural experiences have been priceless and something I would not have experienced otherwise.
Where do you find your sanctuary (#WheresYourSanctuary)?
I have to say my garden and the beach. My garden because, when I’m out there weeding, it’s a form of meditation for me. I don’t have the patience for traditional meditation. At the beach, I don’t have to do anything or think about business. I recreate myself there.
Tell me about the inspiration behind launching ART TIMES.
It really came from my being dissatisfied with the work I was doing. I had worked as a high school English teacher and as a counselor before directing a shadowing program designed by the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Career Education Program. I soon realized that I had no power to move it in the direction I wanted it to go. Plus, the funding for the program was beginning to phase out. I wanted to have more purpose and meaning in my life. My soul’s work has always been networking and gathering information. Making connections is who I am, and being a publisher was perfect for this.
Why publish an arts journal?
The arts is where Ray [Cornelia’s husband and editor of ART TIMES] stepped in. He was already writing about artists for some local publications. In 1984, Ray was trying to place his work in an arts council publication. They kept coming back with reasons it couldn’t be done, such as not having enough money to typeset. We wanted more of Ray’s work to get out there, so we started to think about doing it ourselves. There was nothing that addressed all of the arts, including resources for artists, in our region. I had no knowledge of publishing, graphics or anything about printing and distribution, but I remember thinking, ‘How hard can this be?’
But it wasn’t until I attended a convention for women in business held at the Civic Center in Poughkeepsie that I truly realized that I was going to move forward with this. I think it was the support of seeing other women in business that pushed me to think I CAN do this. I spoke to Merna Popper, who was the publisher of a women’s publication in Westchester, NY, and she seemed very excited with my concept and was willing to share information with me about how to get started.
You decided to work on the journal full-time. Did you leave full-time employment elsewhere, and, if so, how scary was that?
Actually, it was scary as hell. I barely slept that first year.
I kept my job as director of the shadowing program for the first twelve months. Fortunately, there was a lot of flexibility. We talked to anyone and everyone who was willing to give us information. We spoke to a graphic artist at one point. Cornelia laughs as she continues…I actually didn’t realize he was a graphic artist at the time, and I said to him, ‘You learn the tools, you have good aesthetics…how hard can it be?’
Ray gathered the writers – experts in their fields – so there wasn’t much editing to do, and I forged forward looking for advertising dollars and trying to figure everything else out. The manager who handled the printing aspect at the shop we were using told me to treat him like a kindergartner. I should say that I wanted a photo mid-way down a page, for instance. I did this until I learned the ‘language.’
What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome the first year or two that the journal was in print?
Ray and I did the distribution ourselves. It took five days! We drove down to Manhattan and also delivered in several counties - Dutchess, Ulster and Green. The other issue was ad sales. It never worked to have someone else sell the ads. At first, I was looking for businesses who would benefit from the exposure – those who should want to support us – arts organizations, etc. But they were dealing with their own stuff. Money was tight. CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act which often supported visual and performing arts programs in the 1970s) money was drying up. The initial support was very meager.
I was doing all the prep work. We didn’t have a copy machine or a computer at first. Ray did the initial typing, and then I would go to the typesetter which was a laborious process. I might be working on an ad, and then the typesetter would give me text, and it would wind up being too big or too small…so I would have to drive to a copy machine that had the ability to shrink or enlarge it. Part of the process was using this light-sensitive paper, so you couldn’t leave it out in the sun or it turned everything brown. A stack camera took photos of the boards you laid out - you had to reserve a spot for photos because the images were done separately. There was a week of actual preparation to get the issue ready.
We put out twelve issues that first year and received just enough ads to cover the cost of printing.
At first, you and your husband were doing everything on your own. How did things evolve as the magazine grew in popularity? Did you need extra help, and, if yes, how did you find this help?
It was just the two of us at first. Ray did a lot of the writing, worked with the other writers and did the finances. The artists would provide the photos. We were just black and white which made things a bit easier. I worked on garnering the advertising and working with the typesetter. We did hire some part-time secretarial staff to do data entry. Over the years, we hired some interns to help, but only two stood out. It wound up being more work than it was worth. We had to put in a lot of time to train them. We would have some who would just not show up or who wouldn’t stay for long. Our offices were in our home, and we couldn’t offer them a possibility for a full-time position afterward.
What is your marketing philosophy?
If you’re a publication with a small, local market, it can be easier to get advertising dollars. A global market can be too dispersed. Local publications can generate ads from any type of business – not just those in the arts – because you have the local community supporting their neighboring businesses and wanting information about local happenings. We never even thought about revenue back then. We were promoting all of the arts, and the arts organizations and artists became our community.
I’m persuasive and persistent. I see advertising as a problem-solving issue, not an ad-selling issue. You might have an event that you need to get out into the world, or you might need to advertise a call for entries for an arts contest, and I’m the one who can do that for you. I’ve turned down advertising because it didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t see how we could help with promotion for a particular organization, for instance. We’ve also never done editorial advertising, such as a full-page ad.
The ART TIMES went “green” two years ago. What was that like and what was the hardest thing about choosing to go online ONLY? What was the BEST thing?
Going online only freed me up timewise and also financially. The printing and distribution costs were really becoming a financial strain for us. Cornelia’s voice breaks. It is clear she misses her print publication. I miss the print version. There is something about holding a product you are so proud of in your hands.
The publishing industry has had to adapt to the vast changes that have occurred since the Internet and online publishing have literally transformed how people are getting their information. In your opinion, how has the reader perspective changed over the years? Many in the industry have claimed that reader attention span is dwindling. Do you agree? Is there still a place for in-depth features and well-researched articles?
Our readers are of an older age group – I’d say the middle-aged bracket or older – and these folks are reading the in-depth pieces. I don’t see our publication being as attractive to a twenty-year-old artist. Do I wish it would be? Yes. People just don’t have the attention span these days, and there is just so much information out there…and a lot of it is garbage.
We started discussing the reality of having to compete with this vast amount of accessible information and the difficulty in trying to stand out among the mire.
Ray gets the London Review of Books and articles go on for pages in a nine point font. She laughs. I don’t have that kind of attention span. But I do hope that there will always be a place for lengthy well-written features.
Can you tell me about one experience that stands out to you?
I remember when I went down to Walden Printing Company for the first time to explore my printing options. I took a friend with me. This was a woman-owned company, and I kept thinking the whole way down that she was going to say something like, ‘Why don’t you girls just go home and do something you know how to do?’ This was a real fear…that I wouldn’t be taken seriously due to my lack of knowledge. Then, she told me what a wonderful idea it was - it turned out that she was a patron of the arts.
Any scary publishing disasters over the years?
In October 1989, Giovanni Piranesi’s (an Italian painter from the 1700s) work was on our front page. When the page came back from the printer, it didn’t look right to me. The artwork was printed backwards! We were printing about 28,000 papers at one point, and it was in all the papers I had already brought down to Manhattan. I kept thinking thank goodness he wasn’t around to see it.
Well, what was really significant about this for me was when Ray and I went down to the city for a publishers conference sometime afterward. We were attending this fancy reception at the top of the Empire State Building, and I’m chatting with total strangers as I usually do. I’m telling this man about our mishap, and he regales me with an even more shocking story. He said that a photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and President Reagan was printed in his publication so that President Reagan was on the wrong side (I think he was on the right instead of the left). They had to pull all of the copies and reprint them! I found out I was talking to the art director of Newsweek. I thought, ‘If this could happen to him, I’m covered. I’ve arrived!’
How has your work as a publisher enriched your personal life?
I’ve met fabulously interesting people – creative people, celebrities. The chance to interact with all of these incredible people has been heartwarming. I’ve been to places I would have never been to - I went to Singapore! I’ve been to all kinds of museums, exhibitions and shows for free because I’m there to publicize an event. These vast cultural experiences have been priceless and something I would not have experienced otherwise.
Where do you find your sanctuary (#WheresYourSanctuary)?
I have to say my garden and the beach. My garden because, when I’m out there weeding, it’s a form of meditation for me. I don’t have the patience for traditional meditation. At the beach, I don’t have to do anything or think about business. I recreate myself there.
