CULTURED magazine has published its 2026 list of 16 Power Advisors, highlighting the professionals who guide collectors in building influential art collections. The list includes established figures like Samy Ghiyati and Nicolas Nahab of the Paris-based advisory NG Partners, as well as Los Angeles-based advisor Nancy Gamboa, who worked with collector Jarl Mohn on the MAC3 donation to LACMA, MOCA, and the Hammer. The article notes that the number of art advisors has grown alongside the art market, with a 2020 survey finding that 30% of New York collectors had worked with one.
The list matters because art advisors operate without formal certification yet make critical decisions about multi-million-dollar assets, and their influence has become more valuable during the market's recent downturn. The advisors profiled are described as a driving force behind which art gets preserved and valued for generations, even though their names rarely appear on museum walls or in auction catalogues. The article also includes advice from advisors on common collector mistakes and where to find undervalued artworks.