Background
“I started my career in the fine art world 20 years ago at the Santa Monica Museum [now The Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles]. I had just moved there from Atlanta, and tagged along with a friend who worked there. The introduction was fortuitous, as I was quickly hired to install Jeremy Blake's amazing digital paintings, which had made him very famous when his work graced the cover of musician Beck's album 'Sea Changes' and appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie 'Punch Drunk Love'. Working with Blake at the height of his fame opened my eyes to optimistic possibilities of what Los Angeles and its’ art scene could offer me.
I went on to install numerous exhibitions with renowned artists including Mark Bradford and Betye Saar. The museum at the time was in Bergamot Station, an art complex of 20 galleries and architectural studios that was developed in the 90's from an old train station. I had the opportunity to meet Robert Berman [owner of Robert Berman Gallery and Santa Monica Auctions] who I worked for as an art installer. In the gallery after hours [with Robert's permission], my friend Jon Cournoyer and I would play and perform music shows with our band Satellite Class. This vibrant dynamic of music and art created a synergy and melting pot of collaboration with local artists, projects and events.
During this time I also had the good fortune to meet Rose Shoshana of Rosegallery. Rose hired me to 'de-install' [strike] shows on Mondays when the gallery was closed. The next thing I know I'm being fitted for a suit to travel to Paris Photo, arranging shipping and logistics and selling art works by highly successful artists including William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Graciela Iturbide, Todd Hido, Martin Parr, Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. Working at Rosegallery, I became very acquainted with legendary artist William Eggleston's work. Eggleston's mundane and banal aesthetic approach to taking photographs of everyday life and domestic objects fascinated me. I was very intrigued how major artist Stephen Shore's bicoastal road trips of American landscapes in the 70's pulled me back into my childhood. I realized I was sharing these prints with collectors naturally in a way that resonated authentically with them.
In 2014, after amassing rich experience in several galleries, I accepted the Director position at Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta. I worked with passion there cultivating Jackson's already prestigious programming of domestic and internationally successful artists. While there, I introduced artists including John Chiara to Jackson Fine Arts program who had already made a name for himself in Northern and Southern California due to his unique and prolific process of making his own camera the size of a small room. I was also very proud to strategically curate a powerful exhibition by artist Mona Kuhn that would garner major attention at Paris Photo that year.
Missing the vibrant and robust fine art community of Los Angeles, I returned in 2015 to become the Sales Director for The Lapis Press, a prestigious art publisher in Culver City, founded by American abstract painter Sam Francis who was collaborating with contemporary artists out of his studio in Venice, CA. Based on the firm’s strong influence on photography and editions, I reached out to well-known artists Robert Polidori and Abelardo Morell whom I had worked with closely over the years, to create some unique and gorgeous editions.
After learning a great deal working within the publishing side of the industry, I longed for more direct contact with collectors of art and the joy of connecting them with the work of both established and emerging artists.”