May 5, 2025

Dorothy Spears: A Life in Art

Dorothy Spears’ passion for art began in high school, when she first encountered Georgia O’Keeffe’s watercolors. She went on to study art and art history at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, later continuing her education at Parsons School of Design in Paris and SUNY Purchase.

Her career in the art world has spanned decades, including work at the renowned Leo Castelli Gallery and as a writer for The New York Times, where she covered art and culture. Her writing has also appeared in The Art Newspaper, ARTnews, Vogue, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. She is the author of Art Tarts: An Indiscreet Tour of the 1980s Art World and the editor of Flight Patterns: A Century of Stories About Flying (Grove Press, 2009).

Spears has long championed the creative process, both as a journalist and as a painter. Having just had an exhibition at the Cornwall Library, she has fulfilled a lifelong dream: showcasing her own watercolor paintings, which reflect her deep connection to nature and personal narrative.

She lives in Warren with her husband, artist Alexis Rockman, where they share a studio and a life devoted to art, conversation, and the landscape that inspires them.