Evan Beard, a former Navy intelligence officer and Oxford economics graduate, is launching a new secondary market gallery called Beard & Co. on New York's Upper East Side after leaving Masterworks, the $1 billion art-tech startup where he ran its secondary market gallery Level & Co. Beard's career path includes stints at Deloitte and Bank of America, where he managed art financing operations and worked with major U.S. collectors. His new gallery will employ a half-dozen staff and function as a discreet private bank for collectors, offering services such as art loans, auction guarantees, consignments, and estate planning.
This story matters because it highlights the growing intersection of finance, technology, and the art market, as well as the unconventional backgrounds of successful art dealers. Beard's transition from military intelligence and banking to running a high-end gallery underscores how the art world increasingly attracts professionals with expertise in finance and strategy. His move also reflects the evolving business models of art investment platforms like Masterworks, which have disrupted traditional gallery and auction dynamics by fractionalizing blue-chip artworks.