Saltz is New York Magazine's art critic known for his direct, unequivocal opinions and willingness to champion young artists, so much so that he landed a judge spot on Bravo's artist competition show Work of Art. He's also half of one of the art world's most prominent power couples—his wife is Times critic Roberta Smith.

Raised in Chicago, one of Saltz's first forays into the art scene was founding the N.A.M.E. Gallery in his hometown, an artist-run gallery that was established in 1973 at which Saltz curated over 70 shows. He eventually found his way from Chicago to New York, where he acted as the sole adviser to the Whitney Biennial in 1995 and then found a home at the Village Voice as their senior art critic from 1998-2007. After nearly a decade with the publication he moved to New York Magazine, where he dispenses his humorous and self-deprecating musings on the art world. Unlike the stuffy stereotypes that come with the New York art scene, Saltz loves to hobnob with regular folks on his Facebook, making him the ideal reality TV judge for Bravo's Project Runway-esque search for the next art star, Work of Art. [Image via Getty]