BLAIN AND DI DONNA OPEN NEW YORK GALLERY AT THE CARLYLE
Harry Blain and Emmanuel Di Donna will open their new secondary market gallery, Blain|Di Donna, in New York this October. Specialising in artworks by Impressionist, Modern and selected Contemporary artists, the business will be located at 981 Madison Avenue on the second floor of the Carlyle Hotel.
The venture, which has been operational since Nov-ember 2010, has already been very active making acquisitions on behalf of its clients. However, the 2,500 square foot gallery will allow Blain and Di Donna to amplify the business; in addition to offering clients a by-appointment environment to view artworks, Blain|Di Donna will stage two to three curated exhibitions a year.
Di Donna, 39, formerly one of Sotheby’s most senior Impressionist and Modern Art specialists, will take charge of the day-to-day running of the operation. He offers a wealth of experience: during his 17-year tenure at Sotheby’s he was involved in almost all major auctions in London and New York, acting on behalf of international sellers and buyers.
He says: “Being in partnership with Harry is a wonderful opportunity. Not only does he have a comprehensive knowledge of Contemporary Art and the market as a whole, but his experience is very complementary to my own. Our combined reach and expertise enable us to assist international buyers and sellers in their passion for collecting.”
Blain, 43, formerly owned Blains Fine Art in London and co-founded Haunch of Venison with Graham Southern in 2002; Southern was a Founding Director of Christie’s (London) Post-War & Contemporary Art Department, which he ran until 2001, leaving to become a director of Anthony d’Offay. They both left Haunch of Venison last year to set up Blain|Southern, which includes a gallery on Dering Street, Mayfair, and an appointment-only gallery in a town house on Hill Street, just off Berkeley Square. In addition to these spaces, Blain|Southern is opening a gallery in Berlin at the end of April with an exhibition by the acclaimed British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster.
While separate from Blain|Southern, which is a primary gallery representing, amongst others, Mat Collishaw and Bill Viola, Di Donna will be working with Blain and Southern and their fellow directors, Elena Bonanno di Linguaglossa, Laetitia Catoir and Adrian Sutton.
Said Blain: “The two galleries are entirely different entities; however there is always a great deal of convergence and Graham and the other directors all view the New York gallery as an amazing opportunity.”
He adds: “Emmanuel has close relationships with some of the most important European and American collectors of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art, all of whom have come to rely heavily on his advice when buying and selling masterpieces at auction and privately.
“He’s also one of the very few people with an in-depth knowledge of the three major art locations - Paris, London and New York. This proves invaluable in assisting the collectors and museums to acquire important works they wish to add to their collections”.
The new gallery, which is currently being refurbished by award-winning New York design firm the Steven Learner Studio, will comprise two
galleries, a private viewing area, two secure, environmentally controlled storage areas, and offices. The gallery’s first exhibition is scheduled to open in October.
The directors of Blain|Di Donna offer advice to collectors on building collections, selling works discreetly, or buying and selling through auction. They also have works available to view at the company’s private viewing spaces in New York and London.