In September 2008, when Lehman Brothers collapsed, I had been working for nine years as an independent art curator, traveling the world and curating contemporary art exhibitions at commercial art galleries. I had just opened a show in Chelsea, New York, having worked on the exhibition for over a year. The show—albeit beautiful and inclusive of many significant names—failed to make any money. Like during the current COVID-19 pandemic, I knew I had to pivot for my future. My salary was contingent on sales, and without any, I was essentially working for free—an unpredictable and unstable situation—and I knew my future relied on something else. I had over 20 years invested in art history education and expertise with a Bachelor of Arts in art history and a Master of Arts in art business, and I wanted to find something that hinged on the same essence of continuing to discover and champion talented artists.
