New York dealer Sean Kelly’s son takes the reins at Los Angeles outpost

Thomas Kelly joined the gallery enterprise in 2011. He had been working in Manhattan actual property and was serving to his father, Sean Kelly, discover a new gallery area. They ended up at 475 Tenth Avenue, and the youthful Kelly transitioned to the household enterprise. He started by engaged on artwork festivals, after which shifting into gross sales and artists liaison. At the moment he’s a accomplice within the gallery—alongside together with his father and sister—and is the lately minted director of its Los Angeles outpost.

“Within the 30-year historical past of the gallery, that is the primary time that we’ve ever had two areas,” he says, “so it is a large transfer for us.” Kelly was very a lot behind the push, particularly after realising that 30 of the 36 artists the gallery represents had by no means had a solo present in Los Angeles. In addition they had no artists based mostly within the Los Angeles space.

He provides, “By elevating my hand and saying, ‘Pay attention, I personally and my household are keen to maneuver to Los Angeles and open this area,’ that was an enormous figuring out consider getting the go forward. That Sean’s son was shifting out right here, there can be no problems with consistency.”

In 2021 they began in search of a Los Angeles area and located a nook on Highland Avenue close to numerous different galleries together with Kohn Gallery and Regen Initiatives. It was an older, one-storey constructing connected to a more moderen three-storey constructing, with an adjoining lot with parking for as much as 40 vehicles—or an outdoor reception. They opened Sean Kelly, Los Angeles, final September, and are at the moment that includes a present by Janaina Tschäpe (till 4 March).

“We’re simply extremely excited to be a part of the Los Angeles arts group,” Thomas says, “and to have an area right here and turn out to be nearer with the establishments, the museums, the collectors which are based mostly right here.”