Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Jul 16, 2025 visibility 17 link 5 artists

barbara guggenheim abigail asher lawsuit

Barbara Guggenheim Associates, Inc., a New York art advisory firm, is embroiled in legal conflict after founder Barbara Guggenheim and her longtime associate Abigail Asher filed dueling lawsuits in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Guggenheim’s suit, filed in August but only recently reported by Artnet News, accuses Asher of diverting some $20.5 million in firm revenue for personal expenses, including rent, dinner bills, and home repairs, and alleges Asher wrongfully kept commissions from a Jean-Michel Basquiat artwork. Asher countersued, accusing Guggenheim of bullying, gaslighting, and using firm funds for personal costs like funeral expenses and luxury vehicles, while denying the financial misconduct claims. The lawsuits also involve the firm’s CPA, Robert Mandeltort, and Asher’s assistant, Jessica Lewis.

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trending_up market schedule Sep 17, 2025 visibility 18 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

Leaner, nimbler and more discreet: why some art advisory firms are growing in a downturn

A growing number of "super advisory" firms are being founded by former top-level auction house executives, offering leaner, more discreet art advisory services without the high overheads of major auction houses and galleries. Notable examples include Art Intelligence Global (AIG), launched by Amy Cappellazzo and Yuki Terase after leaving Sotheby's, and Patti Wong & Associates, founded by former Sotheby's Asia chair Patti Wong. These firms leverage decades of experience and personal client relationships to compete in a cautious market where major auction houses have cut staff and digitized operations.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Dec 16, 2025 visibility 19 link 3 artists, 11 galleries

Comment | After a market shake up in 2025, it's time to create a right-sized art trade

The article reflects on the art market's turbulent 2025, marked by gallery closures, weak auction results, and canceled art fairs. Rather than viewing this as a collapse, the author argues it represents a necessary "right-sizing" of an industry that over-expanded during boom years. Key figures like Philip Hoffman of the Fine Art Group advocate for leaner, more agile business models, such as his new advisory firm New Perspectives Art Partners. Meanwhile, dealers in New York and Los Angeles are adapting through shared exhibition spaces and strategic mergers, including Marian Goodman Gallery hosting Jenkins Johnson Gallery and the formation of Hoffman Donahue.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original