40 Galleries You Should Know if You Love Paint: Redux
I put together my first selection of Forty Galleries You Should Know if You Love Paint in 2012. As with everything in life, a lot has changed in the art world over the past two years. Some of my favorite galleries have closed, including Harris Lieberman in New York City and the legendary Daniel Weinberg Gallery in Los Angeles, while some younger galleries have either suddenly appeared or have developed their programming in truly noteworthy ways.
Of all the changes since 2012, the most difficult has been the recent loss of the visionary and beloved New York art dealer who simply went by the name Hudson. His gallery, Feature, Inc., has been a critical part of the city’s frenetic art scene since the mid-1980s. Hudson brought early exposure to dozens of important artists, including Alexander Ross and Tom Friedman. In the past few years, his championing of mid-career artists such as Andrew Masullo and David Deutsch helped bring their work much-deserved attention. While Hudson will long be remembered for his impact on the art world, it is his quiet intelligence and gentle spirit that I will miss the most. There is no word yet as to what will become of Feature, Inc. – Steven Zevitas, Publisher
Elijah Burgher. Courtesy of Western Exhibitions (aka Scott Speh Gallery), Chicago.
Two years ago, I would not have thought that it was possible for more energy to be put into the medium of paint. I am glad that I did not place a bet on it. If anything, there is more going on with painting than ever, and while many artists are working in traditional modes, many others are busy pushing our understanding of the medium to startling new places. Many of the galleries on this list are firmly dedicated to taking on the risk of helping this emerging generation of painters realize their vision.
As with my first list, the criteria for selection this time is that the gallery must be located in the United States and have a stable of artists that is at least 50% painters. And again, the list is far from comprehensive. In the interest of giving attention to younger galleries, I have stayed away from obvious painting strongholds such as Matthew Marks, Gagosian, David Zwirner, Pace, and Blum & Poe.
ACME; Los Angeles
This powerhouse LA gallery places an emphasis on the medium of painting, and its stable includes some of the most sought-after artists working today. Laura Owens showed here beginning in the late 1990s, and LA art star Tomory Dodge continues to be represented by the gallery.
NAP ARTISTS: Lisa Sanditz, Iva Gueorguieva
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Kristin Baker, Tomory Dodge, Bill Jensen, Tony Feher, Kai Althoff
American Contemporary; New York City
This Lower East Side space is widely considered one of the most important young galleries in New York’s frenetic art scene. Under the direction of Matthew Dipple, the gallery has a consistent track record of introducing artists who gain attention quickly. The gallery’s art fair presentations are always immaculately curated.
NAP ARTISTS: Anna Conway, Shara Hughes
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Sarah Braman, Mariah Robertson
Ameringer|McEnery|Yohe; New York City
It is all painting, all the time at this Chelsea gallery. Founded by Will Ameringer, the former director of the influential André Emmerich Gallery, the gallery has become known for its penchant for modernist abstraction. Since McEnery and James Yohe joined the team, the gallery has consistently added younger artists to its stable, but with a strong eye toward artists whose visual language and dedication to the craft of painting blend well with the existing roster. The gallery is a staple on high-end art fair circuit.
NAP ARTISTS: Franklin Evans, Iva Gueorguieva, Patrick Wilson
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Brian Alfred, Kevin Appel, Suzanne Caporael, Frederick Hammersley, Hans Hofmann, Wolf Kahn, Morris Louis, Robert Motherwell, Kenneth Noland
Iva Gueorguieva. Courtesy of Ameringer|McEnery|Yohe, New York City.
Jeff Bailey Gallery; New York City
Jeff Bailey has an extraordinarily sensitive eye when it comes to the medium of painting, and his diverse stable covers a lot of aesthetic range. Every time I visit with Jeff he has something great to show me. He is my favorite type of dealer – deadly serious, yet very approachable.
NAP ARTISTS: Louise Belcourt, Jim Gaylord, Jim Richard, Jered Sprecher
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Jackie Gendel, Martin McMurray
Bill Brady/KC; Kansas City, MO
For a number of years, Bill Brady was based in New York City, where he owned the well-respected ATM Gallery. He relocated to Kansas City in early-2012 he opened Bill Brady/KC, which has quickly become the edgiest commercial space in the city. Brady’s deep connection to NYC have yielded benefits, and he has mounted a series of consistently challenging shows by highly sought-after artists. Among the artists whom he has exhibited over the past two years are Joe Bradley, Jonas Wood, Michael Williams, Eddie Martinez and ultra-hot auction star, Lucien Smith.
Brennan & Griffin; New York City
Under Kathryn Brennan’s direction, Sister became a staple of LA’s bustling Chinatown art scene in the mid-2000s, and one of the more interesting spaces in the city overall. Sister morphed into Kathryn Brennan Gallery, and, in 2010, Brennan and then-director James Griffin partnered to form Brennan & Griffin on New York’s Lower East Side. The gallery’s reputation has grown steadily since then. There are a number of LA-based artists in the stable, including mid-career painter Mary Weatherford.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Kristin Calabrese, John Williams, Mary Weatherford
Mary Weatherford. Courtesy of Brennan & Griffin, New York City.
Shane Campbell Gallery; Chicago
Certain gallerists can do virtually no wrong, and, in my estimation, Shane Campbell is among them. With a program largely focused on abstract painting, Campbell consistently mounts shows with first-rate emerging and mid-career artists, including the now-internationally known Mark Grotjahn. The art world works in mysterious ways, and as luck would have it, one of Campbell’s artists, Michelle Grabner, was selected as one of three curators of the 2014 Whitney Biennial. It is not surprising to see three of her stablemates – Tony Lewis, Suzanne McClelland and Shio Kusaka – in the Biennial.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Ann Craven, Michelle Grabner, Joanne Greenbaum, Mark Grotjahn, Jon Pestoni, Zak Prekop, Jonas Wood, Amanda Ross-Ho
Jonas Wood. Courtesy of Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago.
Canada; New York City
What can you say about this artist run space? For close to a decade, it has largely defined the Lower East Side scene. I would rate it as one of the most important and influential galleries to open in New York City in the 2000s. It has launched the careers of three of the most discussed artists of the day - Gedi Sibony, Joe Bradley and Sarah Bramam – and it continues to be one of the top spaces in the country for emerging artists. Galleries further up the food chain seem to be constantly circling CANADA’s stable in search of the next star. The gallery located to new, larger LES digs in 2013.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Katherine Bernhardt, Joe Bradley, Sarah Braman, Matt Connors, Xylor Jane, Michael Williams
Joe Bradley. Courtesy of CANADA, New York City.
Cheim & Read; New York City
Opened in Chelsea in 1997, Cheim & Read has quickly become one of New York’s most prominent galleries. Its upmarket stable of artists and estates includes such art-historically significant figures as Louise Bourgeois, Diane Arbus, William Eggleston, Jenny Holzer and Joan Mitchell. Painting is a major part of the gallery’s programming, and the artists it represents span generations, from deceased masters such as Milton Resnick and Al Held to established artists such as Sean Scully and Jonathan Lasker to younger artists such as Ghada Amer and Tal R. It is clear that John Cheim and Howard Read have taken great care in putting together a gallery roster of superlative artists who are all making significant contributions to their respective mediums. This is not a gallery that is interested in the new and untested.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Diane Arbus, Lynda Benglis, William Eggleston, Al Held, Jenny Holzer, Bill Jensen, Jonathan Lasker, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Jack Pierson, Sean Scully
China Art Objects Galleries; Los Angeles
I don’t know what is up with this gallery’s name. When it was founded in the 1990s, as China Art Objects, the gallery was at the heart of Los Angeles’s then-burgeoning Chinatown art scene. With its move to a beautiful Culver City space several years ago, the gallery became International Art Objects. It is now China Art Objects once again. Whatever the reason for the flip-flopping, it has long been one of the best spaces in LA. The heart of its stable is made up of a significant group of LA-based emerging and mid-career artists, including Kim Fisher and Pae White.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Sarah Braman, Kim Fisher, Sean Landers, Jon Pylypchuk, Eric Wesley, Pae White
Pae White. Courtesy of China Art Objects Galleries, Los Angeles.
Corbett vs. Dempsey; Chicago
It is hard not to love the gallery’s name, which sets up an adversarial position, although John Corbett and Jim Dempsey seem to get along just fine. Known for exhibiting first-rate Chicago painting, sculpture and works on paper from 1940 to 1980, they have expanded their program to include contemporary artists, and the gallery is now becoming a staple on the art fair circuit. Two of its artists, Rebecca Morris and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung, will be included in the 2014 Whitney Biennial.
NAP ARTISTS: John Sparagana, Molly Zuckerman-Hartung
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Albert Oehlen, Rebecca Shore, Christopher Wool, Josiah McElheny, Joyce Pensato, Charline von Heyl, Karl Wirsum
Molly Zuckerman-Hartung. Courtesy of Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago.
CRG Gallery; New York City
Partnerships are always difficult, but somehow this New York-based space has managed to successfully grow with three wheels. Its street-level space in Chelsea has given it the added exposure that its program deserves. It represents a number of New York-based artists, and is home to good clutch of West Coasters, including Russell Crotty, Tomory Dodge, Tom LaDuke, Kelly McLane, and Steve Roden.
NAP ARTISTS: Robert Buck, Angela Dufresne, Siobhan Liddell, Kelly McLane, Lisa Sanditz
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Russell Crotty, Pia Fries, Ori Gersht, Steve Roden
Thomas Duncan Gallery; Los Angeles
Opened in Los Angeles in early 2012, Thomas Duncan Gallery is one of the younger spaces on this list. As of now, the gallery formally represents only six emerging artists, but they are a significant six, including one of my favorite painters, Zak Prekop, and one of the more interesting emerging artists out there today, Valerie Snobeck. Thomas Duncan clearly has a thing for painting, but not in the traditional sense. All the artists he currently represents are intensely focused on process, and they are pushing their medium forward. I expect great things from this gallery, which I think is one of the most interesting new spaces in the country.
NAP ARTISTS: Valerie Snobeck
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Zak Prekop, Lucas Knipscher, Sean Kennedy
Sean Kennedy. Courtesy of Thomas Duncan Gallery, Los Angeles.
Talley Dunn Gallery; Dallas
Talley Dunn has been active in the art world for more than two decades. She and Lisa Brown opened the highly respected Dunn and Brown Contemporary in the late 1990s, and represented a number of high-profile artists, including Trenton Doyle Hancock. Dunn and Brown went their separate ways in 2011, but Dunn continues to run one of Texas’s best spaces. Many of the artists she represents reside in Texas, and among them are some of the state’s biggest exports, including David Bates, Jeff Elrod, Vernon Fisher, and Susie Rosmarin.
NAP ARTISTS: Julie Bozzi, Xiaoze Xie
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: David Bates, Jeff Elrod, Vernon Fisher, Robyn O’Neil, Susie Rosmarin
David Bates. Courtesy of Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas.
Freight + Volume; New York City
A true art-world character, Nick Lawrence is a cofounder of the legendary LFL Gallery. After Zach Feuer took over LFL, Lawrence went on to open the scrappy Freight + Volume, which heavily favors painting. He has a good track record of supporting significant emerging talent. When it comes to art fairs, Lawrence goes for it. For the past two years, his gallery has participated in multiple art fairs concurrently during Miami’s art fair week. When I asked him why, he told me that it ensured that none of his clients would miss him. Love it.
NAP ARTISTS: Erik Den Breejen, Kent Dorn, Kristen Schiele, Michael Scoggins, Damian Stamer
James Fuentes; New York City
In the past few years, this Lower East Side dealer’s star has been on the rise, as his artists such as Joshua Abelow, John McAllister, and Noam Rappaport have gained critical and commercial attention. Fuentes has one of my favorite programs in New York, and is a must visit on any LES gallery crawl.
NAP ARTISTS: Joshua Abelow
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Jessica Dickinson, John McAllister, Noam Rappaport
Joshua Abelow. Courtesy of James Fuentes Gallery, New York City.
Gallery Paule Anglim; San Francisco
This venerable San Francisco gallery has exhibited the work of numerous artists of international stature, including Bruce Conner, Ann Hamilton, David Ireland, Jess, Barry McGee, and Frances Stark. It is also home to a strong group of emerging artists. Housed in a second-floor Geary Street space, there is a special feeling every time that you walk in the door – it is as if you were walking into a piece of history. On any given day, Paule Anglim is sure to be holding down the fort with longtime gallery director Edward Gilbert.
NAP ARTISTS: Ala Ebtekar, Brett Reichman, Katherine Sherwood, Xiaoze Xie, John Zurier, James Sterling Pitt
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Too many to mention
James Sterling Pitt. Courtesy of Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco.
The Hole; New York City
It was a sad day when Deitch Projects closed its doors in 2010. The space’s passing unleashed a number of high-profile artists, who were quickly courted and snatched up by other galleries, and it also freed a very talented team of gallerists to pursue their own projects. Kathy Grayson, one of Deitch’s former directors, opened The Hole in 2009, and it has since become one of the most exciting spaces in New York. There is a true energy to this gallery that you can feel both in the space itself and when it goes on the road to various art fairs. The Hole’s booth at the 2013 NADA Miami Art Fair was widely regarded as one of the highlights. The programming is diverse, but The Hole clearly loves paint.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Kadar Brock, Kasper Sonne, Misaki Kawi
2013 Nada Miami Art Fair Installation. Courtesy of The Hole, New York City.
Honor Fraser; Los Angeles
Honor Fraser has an interesting name, and she has had a really interesting life. Born and raised in Scotland, the ex-model spent a number of years in the fashion industry before heading to the States, where she calls Los Angeles home. Fraser opened her eponymous gallery in 2008 and now occupies a pristine gallery space in the heart of LA’s commercial gallery scene, Culver City. Her stable is diverse and includes two of LA’s hottest emerging talents, Sarah Cain and Annie Lapin, as well as the internationally exhibited artist KAWS.
NAP ARTISTS: Sarah Cain, Annie Lapin, Erik Parker, Brenna Youngblood
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Tomoo Gokita, KAWS, Robert Lazzarini, Kenny Scharf
Annie Lapin. Courtesy of Honor Fraser, Los Angeles.
Horton Gallery; New York City
And he came from Texas. Along with CANADA, Sean Horton earned a place as a poster boy for the Lower East Side gallery movement. After some time spent in Boston, where we first met, Horton went to New York and worked with Nick Lawrence before opening Horton Gallery. Horton loves painting, and he has an extraordinary eye for picking emerging talent – he seems to constantly discover new artists. Horton recently moved from Chelsea into the former LES space of CANADA.
NAP ARTISTS: Echo Eggebrecht, Kirk Hayes, James Hyde
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Peter Gallo, Aaron Spangler
Hosfelt Gallery; San Francisco
Hosfelt Gallery has long been one of my favorite spaces in San Francisco. Since it opened in 1996, Todd Hosfelt has built an aesthetically and geographically diverse program that includes some of the Bay Area’s most historically significant artists, such as Jay DeFeo and William T. Wiley. Hosfelt already had one of the best spaces in San Francisco, but he made the move to an even bigger space on Utah Street in late 2012. Art dealers Brian Gross and Catharine Clark followed suit in 2013, giving the area a critical mass that will be sure to draw the city’s art community in great numbers.
NAP ARTISTS: Chris Ballantyne, Andrew Schoultz
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Rina Banerjee, Russell Crotty, Jay DeFeo, Alfredo Jaar, Byron Kim, Stefan Kurten, Emil Lukas, Marco Maggi, John O’Reilly, Liliana Porter, Shahzia Sikander, William T. Wiley
Chris Ballantyne. Courtesy of Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.
Inman Gallery; Houston
I will just come out and say it: Inman Gallery has my favorite program in Texas. Its sensitively constructed stable of artists includes some of Texas’s top emerging and mid-career artists, including one of the most overlooked artists in the United States, Houston-based Katrina Moorhead, who works with a range of media. Kerry Inman and gallery director Patrick Reynolds are also about as nice as they come.
NAP ARTISTS: Tommy Fitzpatrick, Heyd Fontenot, Angela Fraleigh, Shaun O’Dell, Sigrid Sandstrom, Jim Richard
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: David Aylsworth, Dana Frankfort, Katrina Moorhead, Darren Waterston
David Kordansky Gallery; Los Angeles
Since opening his first space in LA’s Chinatown in 2003, Kordansky has consistently mounted some of the most challenging exhibitions in that city, often with a conceptual bent. His move to Culver City gave him a lot more space and he has put it to good use. It is fair to say that Kordansky now stands toward the top of LA’s gallery hierarchy. As of late, it seems that he has been actively recruiting new talent, from LA and elsewhere. Jonas Wood and Jon Pestoni came on board over the past couple of years, and 2013 saw the addition of John Wesley and LA-based painter Mary Weatherford to the already impressive roster.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Richard Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Elad Lassry, Ruby Neri, Jon Pestoni, Lesley Vance, Mary Weatherford, John Wesley, Jonas Wood
John Wesley. Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles.
LaMontagne Gallery; Boston
In the interest of full disclosure, gallery owner Russell LaMontagne has become a friend of mine since he stormed back into his hometown of Boston several years ago. One of the founders of New York’s visionary LFL Gallery, Lamontagne brings a lot of personality and business acumen to his gallery. Since setting up shop in South Boston, he has quickly become one of the city’s most important gallerists, and he now represents some of the city’s most significant emerging artists, such as anything goes conceptual artist, Andrew Mowbray.
NAP ARTISTS: Nuno de Campos. Holly Coulis, Daniel Heidkamp, Daniela Rivera, Alexis Stamatiou, Joe Wardwell
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Dana Frankfort, Andrew Mowbray, Aaron Spangler, Jacques Louis Vidal
David Lewis Gallery; New York City
I discovered this Lower East Side Gallery only in late 2013, when I stumbled into a show by artist Lucy Dodd. It was one of the best “painting” shows that I saw in 2013, and Dodd became a late addition to my 14 Painters to Watch in 2014 list because of it. David Lewis’s program is young, diverse, and clearly in formation, but if his current roster is any indication, this gallery will become one of those well-curated spaces where you might not always know what you will find, but it will always make sense.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Lucy Dodd, Israel Lund
Lucy Dodd. Courtesy of David Lewis Gallery, New York City.
Gregory Lind Gallery; San Francisco
This gallery is one of San Francisco’s best-kept secrets. In an intimate Geary Street space, Gregory Lind consistently offers some of the best exhibitions in the city. He loves painting, and I always enjoy visiting him when I am in San Francisco. He is the type of dealer who is unswayed by art-world trends; Lind goes with his gut, and his stable of artists speaks to his very individual eye.
NAP ARTISTS: Jim Gaylord, Jake Longstreth, Aaron Parazette, Jovi Schnell, Dannielle Tegeder, Don Voisine, Sarah Walker, Karla Wozniak
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Barbara Takenaga
Anthony Meier Fine Arts; San Francisco
Anthony Meier has been a staple on the high-end art fair circuit for years, and he consistently has one of the best-looking booths. Housed in a mansion constructed in 1911, his immaculate gallery plays host to some of the most important gallery exhibitions in San Francisco. His stable is a virtual who’s who of international superstars. It is one of my favorite galleries in the country, and proof that you don’t need to be in New York to play with the big boys.
NAP ARTISTS: Sarah Cain, Kate Shepherd
OTHER NOTABLE ARTYISTS: Jeremy Dickinson, Jim Hodges, Leonardo Drew, Tony Feher, Barnaby Furnas, Donald Moffett, Gary Simmons
Donald Moffett. Courtesy of Anthony Meier Fine Arts, San Francisco.
Miller Yezerski Gallery; Boston
When I first met Howard Yezerski, he had a lofty space in Boston’s Leather District. He subsequently spent a number of years on Newbury Street, and he is now a stone’s throw from my offices in the South End. He has always had a thing for painting, and his diverse stable includes Boston favorites such as Domingo Barreres and Emily Eveleth; internationally known artists such as Joseph Marioni; and emerging talent such as Laurel Sparks and Yana Puyasova. In 2013, Yezerski partnered with longtime Boston dealer Ellen Miller, who was an early proponent of now–widely exhibited artists such as Laylah Ali, Amy Cutler, and Angela Dufresne. Miller and Yezerski form a powerful, well-connected duo that has mounted and will continue to mount significant exhibitions.
NAP ARTISTS: Laylah Ali, Domingo Barreres, Susan Jane Belton, Morgan Bulkeley, Emily Eveleth, Catherine Kehoe, Kay Ruane, Evelyn Rydz, Paul Shakespear, Elaine Spatz-Rabinowitz, Brian Zink
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: John Coplans, Lalla Essaydi, Robert Feintuch, John O’Reilly, Rona Pondick
Mitchell-Innes & Nash; New York City
Gallery director Jay Gorney left Mitchell-Innes and Nash in 2013, so it will very interesting to see how the tony gallery’s contemporary program develops moving forward. In just a few short years, the uber-talented and plugged-in Gorney developed a contemporary program for MIANDN that ranks as one of the best in New York City. Among the artists whom Gorney brought on board are Sarah Braman, Keltie Ferris, Chris Johanson, Daniel Lefcourt, Chris Martin, and Amanda Ross-Ho. Will they all remain now that Gorney has left? That remains to be seen, but for now, MIANDN has one of my favorite programs in the country.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Pretty much all of them
Chris Martin. Courtesy of Mitchell-Innes and Nash, New York City.
Mark Moore Gallery; Los Angeles
If you like well-crafted painting, then, this gallery is for you. Formerly located in Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station arts complex, Mark Moore recently set up shop in Culver City. With his daughter Catlin Moore in the director’s seat, the gallery has gained increasing exposure over the past years, and has added a number of new artists. Its big gun continues to be Allison Schulnik, but a number of its other artists, such as Andrew Schoultz, are quickly gaining traction.
NAP ARTISTS: Tim Bavington, Kiel Johnson, Dimitri Kozyrev, Julie Oppermann, Andrew Schoultz, Allison Schulnik, Ali Smith, Feodor Voronov, Ben Weiner
Allison Schulnik (Detail). Courtesy of Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles.
Petzel; New York City
Friedrich Petzel has been in business since the mid-1990s, but in recent years his gallery has become one of the most important in New York City, where it is a favorite of both collectors and critics. His spectacular new Chelsea digs have brought the gallery even more attention. His stable includes some this generation’s most important painters, such as Wade Guyton and Charline Von Heyl, and in 2011, Petzel brought Dana Schutz on board
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Another gallery where virtually every artist is significant
Dana Schutz. Courtesy of Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York City.
Prole Drift; Seattle
Prole Drift is run by one of my favorite art-world people, Dirk Park. He has had his hands in a bit of everything over the years, but is perhaps best known for co-founding the much-loved Aqua Art Fair in Miami, which is where my art-fair career began. I visited Prole Drift last summer for the first time, and I have rarely seen such a well-designed space. What the space lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in presence. Park is an easygoing guy, but when it comes to programming his space, he is deadly serious. Every show is carefully thought out and perfectly installed.
NAP ARTISTS: Lisa Liedgren, Susanna Bluhm, Joe Wardwell, Amanda Valdez
Nicholas Nyland. Courtesy of Prole Drift, Seattle.
Jessica Silverman Gallery; San Francisco
Jessica Silverman has, in a very short time, become one of the most talked-about young dealers in the world. She opened her gallery in 2008 after finishing an M.F.A. in Curatorial Studies at the California College of the Arts and quickly made a name for herself. Within a year of opening, she was already participating in significant art fairs such as NADA Miami and FIAC. Silverman has a knack for identifying new talent, including Hugh Scott-Douglas, who was recently taken on by LA powerhouse Blum & Poe, and Dashiell Manley, who will appear in the upcoming 2014 Whitney Biennial. She is also interested in overlooked mature artists such as Barbara Kasten, whose work is just starting to be recognized as seminal to a younger generation of photographers.
NAP ARTISTS: Luke Butler, Desiree Holman, Conrad Ruiz
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Barbara Kasten, Dashiell Manley, Hugh Scott-Douglas
Dashiell Manley. Courtesy of Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco.
Philip Slein Gallery; St. Louis, MO
Philip Slein Gallery, which has been open since 2003, is almost exclusively focused on painting, with a strong predilection for abstraction. In the interest of full disclosure, Slein’s programming has a lot of overlap with my own, so it is no big mystery why it ended up on this list. The gallery exhibits a number of significant Midwestern artists – Todd Chilton, Michael Krueger, and Fred Stonehouse among them – but it also been active in exhibiting some of the best painters emerging in New York City, such as Chuck Webster, Ann Pibal, and Jackie Saccoccio. If you live in St. Louis and love painting, you are very lucky to have this gallery.
NAP ARTISTS: Phyllis Bramson, Louis Cameron, Todd Chilton, John Dilg, Michael Krueger, Cary Smith, Fred Stonehouse
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Jackie Saccoccio, Chuck Wesbter, Ann Pibal, Andrew Masullo, Alexander Ross
Andrew Masullo and Cary Smith. Courtesy of Philip Slein Gallery, St. Louis.
Texas Gallery; Houston
Texas Gallery has one of the best programs in the Lone Star State, and the gallerists like painting. In the past, they have given solo shows to the likes of Lynda Benglis, Rackstraw Downes, Nancy Graves, Bill Jensen, and Richard Serra. They have also worked with one of my favorite Texas-based artists, Susie Rosmarin, for a number of years.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Richard Serra, Lynda Benglis, Bill Jensen, Joel Shapiro
Thierry Goldberg Gallery; New York City
This relatively young Lower East Side gallery is 90% focused on relatively young emerging painters. I always make a point of swinging by when I am in New York. Definitely a space to watch.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: Aaron Fowler, Ben Grasso, Jeffrey Kessel
Untitled; New York City
Certain galleries seem to come out of nowhere and quickly generate heat. When UNTITLED opened its doors in 2010, in the center of the Lower East Side’s burgeoning art scene, the space quickly became a collector favorite with a reputation for carefully selecting its stable of artists. Co-owner Joel Mesler came from Los Angeles, where he was first an artist and then founder of Rental Gallery. His deep connections to LA’s art scene resonate in UNTITLED’s programming. Having moved Rental to New York in the late 2000s, Mesler subsequently partnered with Carol Cohen to open UNTITLED, and the two have consistently mounted strong shows since the gallery’s inception.
NOTABLE ARTISTS: N. Dash, Brendan Fowler, Joshua Neustein, Ry Rocklen, Henry Taylor
Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Art Projects; Los Angeles
Susanne Vielmetter has been one of the beneficiaries of the strong light cast on Los Angeles in recent years. Having multiple artists in the 2008 Whitney Biennial didn’t hurt either. Now ensconced in a cavernous Culver City space, her diverse program includes some of the West Coast’s top artists, and a number of international superstars. Watch for the work of LA-based painter Steve Roden in the coming years.
NAP ARTISTS: Patrick Wilson
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Nicole Eisenman, Karl Haendel, Wangechi Mutu, Steve Roden, Amy Sillman, Mickalene Thomas
Karl Haendel. Courtesy of Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Art Projects, Los Angeles.
Western Exhibitions (aka Scott Speh Gallery); Chicago
Western Exhibitions opened its doors in late 2004. At the time, owner Scott Speh was a practicing artist. As it turns out, he had a knack for running a gallery. Chicago is home to a lot of artistic talent, and Speh has pieced together a roster of artists that includes some of the best emerging painters in the Windy City, such as Paul Nudd and Richard Hull. The gallery’s profile has definitely been on the rise for the past few years, and Elijah Burgher’s inclusion in the soon-to-open 2014 Whitney Biennial is sure to bring even more attention its way.
NAP ARTISTS: Ryan Travis Christian, Richard Hull, Paul Nudd, Rachel Niffenegger, Geoffrey Todd Smith, Deb Sokolow
OTHER NOTABLE ARTISTS: Dan Attoe, Elijah Burgher, Robyn O’Neil
Western Project; Los Angeles
Co-owners Erin Kermanikian and Cliff Benjamin opened Western Projects in 2003, and are now located on La Cienega in LA’s Culver City arts district. With his tattooed arms and neck, Benjamin is one of those art-worlders you tend to notice immediately on entering a room, which is, in his chosen profession, a real asset. Western’s programming has always been painting-heavy, and the gallerists clearly have a strong interest in artists who are technically proficient. Their current show of paintings by emerging artist Brian Porray is a knockout.
NAP ARTISTS: Carole Caroompas, Matthew Penkala, Brian Porray, Wayne White