Ahead of the launch of White Cube’s first public gallery in New York, scheduled to open in Autumn 2023, White Cube has announced the appointment of Courtney Willis Blair as US Senior Director. She will join in January 2023.
It’s an incredibly exciting but complicated time for the art industry, so I’m thrilled to be at the US helm of a leading gallery with such an exquisite program and distinct mission. I’ve long admired what Jay and the team at White Cube have built and sustained, and I look forward to our New York debut.
Courtney Willis Blair
Leading a growing New York team including John Good (Director of Artists’ Estates) and Angela Brazda (Director, New York), Courtney will be responsible for shaping the gallery’s curatorial programme and brand both in the region and across the US.
In addition, as a member of White Cube’s Global Board of Directors, she will play a key role in shaping the strategy for the gallery internationally.
Courtney was formerly a Partner and Senior Director at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, where she led artist canonical strategy and institutional engagement in the US and internationally, from projects at documenta and the São Paulo Biennial, to exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Jewish Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Speed Art Museum.
As a writer and journalist, she has profiled some of the world’s leading artists, architects, and curators. She is the founder of Entre Nous, an international body of Black women art dealers established in 2016, and serves on the boards of The Kitchen, Triple Canopy, and the International Studio & Curatorial Program.
I am delighted to welcome Courtney to the team as we embark on the next exciting chapter of White Cube’s near 30-year history. Her extensive knowledge of the US market and art ecosystem, as well as her sensitivity to art and artists, makes her a perfect candidate to not only lead our New York gallery, but act as a key contributor to our global strategy, shaping the future of White Cube.
Susan May, White Cube Global Artistic Director
Opening in Autumn 2023, White Cube’s New York gallery will be located at 1002 Madison Avenue. Constructed in 1930, the building will house public gallery spaces and private viewing rooms across three floors. The gallery’s office and viewing rooms at 699 Madison Avenue will also remain in operation.
