Marian Goodman, the revered art dealer known for her steadfast commitment to artists and resistance to market trends, died at 97 in a Los Angeles hospital. She opened her eponymous gallery in 1977 in Midtown Manhattan with a show of Marcel Broodthaers, and over five decades represented major figures including Gerhard Richter, Julie Mehretu, William Kentridge, and Steve McQueen. Goodman began her career by founding Multiples in 1965 to publish affordable editions, and she famously kept her gallery on 57th Street while peers moved to SoHo and Chelsea.
Goodman's death marks the end of an era for a dealer who prioritized long-term artist relationships over commercial trends, building a roster that critics compared to a world-class museum. Her refusal to open multiple branches and her insistence on a single, somewhat unorthodox location underscored a philosophy that art should be accessible and that dealers must show patience. Her legacy is defined by championing European artists in the US and maintaining integrity in an increasingly commercialized art world.