Art Scene
How White Cube New York’s Gallerist Is Changing the City’s Art Scene
Last fall, when the prestigious London gallery White Cube opened its first public space in New York City, it tapped a trailblazer with an unorthodox path in the industry. Growing up in Sri Lanka, Sukanya Rajaratnam didn’t consider art an obvious career choice. Instead, she studied economics at Cambridge and went to work in investment banking, specializing in underappreciated assets. Now, as global director of strategic market initiatives at White Cube New York, she’s leveraging her business background to shine the spotlight on unsung artists.
Rajaratnam made the move from finance to the art world with an unpaid internship at Christie’s auction house, where she started by writing catalog copy for the evening sales. She went on to spend 15 years at New York’s Mnuchin Gallery, 10 as partner. “I was in a unique position to see the value in underrepresented artists,” Rajaratnam says, her work driven by mission as much as the market. That eye helped boost the careers of artists such as the late Ed Clark, Alma Thomas, Sam Gilliam, and David Hammons.
Read more: https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/white-cube-york-gallerist-changing-130000214.html
Art Scene
Julius A. Karash on Business and the Arts | As controversies rage across the nation, DEI invigorates our local and regional art scene
In an era of wrenching divisiveness, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) has morphed into one of the most controversial topics in America. The debate over DEI has raged in virtually every sector of our society, from business to education to museums.
Opponents of DEI denounce such efforts as threats against merit and quality, and the outcries grew louder and more frequent during the presidential contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
In my opinion, DEI efforts have played a crucial role in beginning to reverse the racist exclusions that have plagued our country for far too long in areas such as housing, education, business, health care and the arts.
Earlier this month, a unique week-long, pop-up art exhibition opened in New York City, showcasing over 200 curated Israeli artworks created in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
A group of volunteers came together to organize the project shortly after the attacks, which left over 1,200 people dead and more than 300 abducted to Gaza. The goal of the project was to allow art to act as a healing tool.
The inaugural Art Up Nation exhibition was also intended to boost the Israeli art scene, which has been devastated over the past year.
Read more: https://www.israel21c.org/israels-post-october-7-art-scene-on-display-in-nyc/
Art Scene
Art021 Hong Kong: RADII Chats with Fair Director About a New Chapter in the City’s Art Scene
Art021 Hong Kong concluded two weekends ago, drawing the curtains on its Sculpture and Greater Bay Area (GBA) Art Week sections on September 8.
The Galleries section at the Phillips Asia Headquarters in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, which concluded earlier, on September 1, buzzed with activity, welcoming guests and collectors. Visitors, many of whom conversed in Mandarin, navigated the bustling space, accompanied by green-jacketed guides. The atmosphere was electric, with numerous galleries reporting strong sales and lively dialogue with collectors.
