Mary Boone, the influential New York art dealer, has reemerged in the art world five years after her release from prison. She collaborated with Lévy Gorvy Dayan on the exhibition “Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties,” featuring artists she championed like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ross Bleckner, Keith Haring, and Julian Schnabel. In a recent interview with New York magazine, Boone described her time at Danbury Correctional as “very relaxing,” noting she went to the gym daily and read a book a day. She also revealed that Martha Stewart advised her to get a criminal lawyer early in her tax evasion case, though Boone initially ignored the suggestion. Boone served 13 months of a 30-month sentence after securing early release during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This story matters because it marks the public comeback of one of the most prominent figures in the 1980s SoHo art scene, whose career was derailed by a high-profile tax evasion conviction. Boone’s casual characterization of prison life and her quick return to selling art—calling 2022 her best year on record—highlights the resilience and privilege of elite art-world figures. The exhibition with Lévy Gorvy Dayan also underscores the enduring market value of the artists Boone once represented, reaffirming her lasting influence on the contemporary art market.