5 Young Contemporary Art Galleries to Know
We’ve gathered a selection of new and recently established contemporary art galleries from around the world that should be on your radar.
Tern Gallery, general view
The pandemic didn’t stop some new galleries from opening their doors over the past year — including the ones on this list, which have opened since 2020, whether hosting exhibitions in physical space, participating in virtual fairs, organizing digital exhibitions, online viewing rooms, or other programming. Most galleries on this list also shine a spotlight and create space, opportunities and support for underrepresented and emerging artists and artistic positions.
Get to know these galleries and see what their exciting programs have to offer.
TERN Gallery
TERN Gallery opened its doors at the end of last year in Nassau, The Bahamas. The gallery and consultancy business place a focus on emerging and mid-career artists from The Bahamas and the Caribbean more broadly. Within this frame, TERN features four to five exhibitions per year. Their roster includes documentary and portrait photographer Melissa Alcena, multi-media artist Kendra Frorup, and painter Tessa Whitehead, among others. The gallery was founded by Amanda Coulson and Lauren Holowesko Perez and aims to bring art from the region to a global audience, while overturning stereotypes about Caribbean art. TERN made its international art fair debut at Future Fair in New York this year during Amory Week. The next exhibition opens on December 11 and presents a solo show of new sculptures by John Beadle, titled Splinters and Shards.
Where to find it: Mahogany Hill, Western Road, Nassau, The Bahamas.
Affinity Art Gallery
Affinity Art Gallery was conceived in 2017, but also opened its inaugural exhibition in December 2020. The gallery, located in Lagos, is committed to spotlightling and supporting the work of emerging contemporary artists, as well as modern artists, from Africa. Alongside its exhibition program, Affinity Art Gallery also presents a public art education program for students across the country. Recognizing a “shortage of institutions and infrastructure” to support artists in Africa, founder Olugbemiro Arinoso says this was a motivation for starting the gallery, to provide opportunities for artists and educate a broader public on African art. The gallery has featured contemporary artists including multi-dimensional visual artist Chigozie Obi, ceramic artist Anne Adams, and designer and multimedia artist Claire Idera, among others.
Where to find it: Unit 2, 1-7 Muri Okunola street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
KDR305
KDR305 was founded this year by Katia David Rosenthal in Little Havana, Miami and opened in the spring with a solo show of terra-cotta pots by self-taught Nicaraguan-American artist Joel Gaitan. KDR305 will also present Gaitan’s works at NADA Miami 2021 as part of the fair’s inaugural “Curated Spotlight” section, for which the gallery was selected by curator and director of David Zwirner Gallery, Ebony L. Haynes. The gallery is housed in a century-old cottage and focuses its program on emerging artists, both international and local. The gallery’s next exhibition presents a solo show of new paintings by Michael Assiff, titled “Yard Flowers”. Previous exhibitions featured the work of Isabella Cuglievan & Adrianne Rubenstein, Joanne Greenbaum, Nicole Nadeau, and Johnny Robles.
Where to find it: 1322 SW 11th Street, Miami, FL 33135, US
HOA Galeria
This one’s an artist-led — and the first black-owned — gallery in Brazil, founded in São Paulo in 2020 by Igi Lola Ayedun. HOA promotes Latin-American contemporary art across a wide range of media, with a particular focus on artists of color, and indigenous and African and Asian diaspora narratives. Among the 14 emerging artists represented by HOA are Estileras, Gabriel Massan and Caroline Ricca Lee, to name a few. Alongside the gallery, HOA also runs a three-month residency with a program centered on developing a decolonial perspective of contemporary art. The residency includes studios, accommodation and spaces for production and research on site in São Paulo. In addition, HOA also organizes further educational, curatorial, and digital programs. This year, HOA Galeria participated in international art fairs including SP-Arte and 1-54 London and curated an online exhibition on Art Fizz.
Where to find it: Rua Amaral Gurgel, 344, 5 andar - Vila Buarque, São Paulo, 01223-011, Brazil + Online
HOA Galeria,
Exhibition: Pertencimento, Larissa de Souza (solo show)
Ross-Sutton Gallery
Primarily showcasing the work of Black and African artists, Ross-Sutton Gallery was initiated by artist advocate, advisor, curator, and gallerist Destinee Ross-Sutton and opened its inaugural exhibition last December. With the mission of protecting artists from speculators, Ross-Sutton has implemented a contract — the Ross-Sutton Agreement — in which buyers of artwork must agree not to resell the work for at least five years; to give the artist the right of first refusal if they decide to sell; and to give the artist 15 percent of the profits if the work is sold. Ross-Sutton has also written about the impact of auction sales on artists, as well as the importance of supporting and nurturing artists as part of a responsible collecting practice — specifically in the context of collecting the work of Black and underrepresented artists. She has likewise stressed the importance of finding the right home for an artwork, as something she integrates into her approach. The inaugural show, “Black Voices: Friend of My Mind,” was held at a space in SoHo, New York. The gallery is currently presenting a group show titled “BLACK EXCELLENCE, BLACK ELEGANCE” in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach, featuring 11 artists and marking the gallery’s one-year anniversary. Ross-Sutton Gallery doesn’t have a fixed space, but plans to organize pop-ups and collaborations around the world.
Where to find it: Nomadic - Check the gallery’s website and social media channels for updates.
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