Art dealer Michael Lieberman has joined Chelsea gallery Marianne Boesky as senior director of sales, a position he will take up September 9. The news comes shortly after the announcement in June that he and his wife Jesse Washburne-Harris were closing Harris Lieberman, the gallery they ran together for eight years.
After earning a degree from Sotheby’s Institute, Lieberman began his career at Gagosian Gallery, which he joined in 1999 and where he and Washburne-Harris first met. He then moved on to Lombard-Freid Gallery as a director. In 2005, he and Washburne-Harris set up their own space where they put on clever exhibitions by emerging artists and invited guest curators to organize shows. They took part in art fairs like Art Basel Miami Beach and Liste, in Basel, Switzerland and represented artists Karl Haendel, Julia Dault, Rebecca Morris, and Thomas Zipp, who had a project at Palazzo Rossini at this year’s Venice Biennale. In July, Harris moved to Metro Pictures, where she is a director. It was only a matter of time before Lieberman himself made his next move. We caught up with the art dealer to see what he has in store in his new role.
Who are some artists you’re looking forward to working with at Marianne Boesky?
One of the things I have always respected most about Marianne's gallery is the breadth of her program. I am looking forward to becoming more intimately acquainted with all of her artists' work. In the past years, I have followed the work of Jay Heikes, Donald Moffett, William J. O'Brien, and Anthony Pearson.
You’ve had your own gallery since 2005. What are some of the benefits to working for a gallery that’s not your own? What are some of the adjustments you’re going to have to make?
Marianne has a more established gallery than we had. With that comes the benefits of a larger staff and more resources. I am excited to have the freedom to focus on the parts of the business that I enjoy the most.
Will there be a significant difference in your day-to-day routine? You worked with your wife at Harris Lieberman for eight years. Do you miss working together?
I don't think there will be a tremendous difference. At this moment, Jessie and I are happy just being husband and wife again.
How did the experience of running your own gallery prepare you for your current role at Boesky?
This position feels like a logical extension of everything I did running Harris Lieberman. However, I am looking forward to being able to focus more on everything I love about working in a gallery without the stress and often daily distractions of running a small business.
To what extent do you keep in touch with the artists you worked with at Harris Lieberman?
Over the past few months I have stayed in close contact with many of the artists we represented. It's important for me to continue to know what they are up to.
Have they found good homes or updated you on what they've done?
It's still early. I know a number of them have had conversations with other galleries. Jessie and I feel a large responsibility to make sure they all find good new gallery relationships.
