Southern Guild, a South African gallery founded by Trevyn and Julian McGowan in 2008, has opened a new outpost in Tribeca, New York, after closing its Los Angeles location. The gallery, which began in Cape Town and expanded to a 32,000-square-foot campus, now occupies a 19th-century heritage building with 17-foot ceilings and cast-iron columns. Its inaugural exhibitions feature South African artists Usha Seejarim and Mmangaliso Nzuza, showcasing large-scale works that take advantage of the dramatic vertical space.
This move signals Southern Guild's ambition to establish a lasting presence in the competitive New York art market, while maintaining its distinct identity as an Africa-founded gallery. The Tribeca location allows the gallery to present ambitious, large-scale installations that were not possible in its previous spaces, reinforcing its commitment to supporting African artists on a global stage. The opening also reflects broader trends of international galleries expanding into New York's Tribeca neighborhood, which has become a hub for contemporary art spaces.