David Haskell, editor in chief of New York Magazine, is holding his first solo exhibition of sculptures titled "Boom Beach" at Donzella Ltd. in New York City. The show features 68 works, mostly ceramics, along with bronzes and glass sculptures, created over the past several years. Haskell, who works as a sculptor twice a week at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, began working with clay as a teenager and returned to it in 2013, evolving from making planters to abstract forms that he describes as a personal exploration of shape and balance.
This story matters because it highlights the intersection of high-level media leadership and a serious artistic practice, challenging the notion that art requires full-time devotion. Haskell's dual career—running a major magazine while quietly building a sculptural oeuvre—raises questions about creativity, time, and the purity of making art without commercial pressure. It also underscores how skills like rhythm and structure translate across disciplines, from editing to ceramics, and offers a rare glimpse into the private artistic life of a prominent publishing figure.