“It’s not what you
look at that matters,
it’s what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau
Curt Marcus is a New York–based art advisor and former gallerist with more than four decades of experience at the highest levels of the international contemporary and modern art market. He works closely with international private collectors, museums, and foundations, advising on the development of significant collections with a focus on postwar, contemporary, and historically important 20th-century works.
Over the course of his career, Marcus has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most influential galleries, including Hauser & Wirth—where he played a central role in the gallery’s London expansion—and Gladstone Gallery in New York. He is also the founder of Curt Marcus Gallery Inc., which for nearly two decades operated in SoHo and gained international recognition for representing leading contemporary artists alongside mounting significant historical exhibitions. Artists represented by the gallery included Bruce Conner, Barbara Ess, Gina Pane, Richard Pettibone, and Mark Tansey, among others.
Marcus is widely respected for his deep knowledge of both the primary and secondary markets and for the longstanding relationships he maintains with artists, estates, museums, foundations, and collectors. As a private dealer, he has sourced and placed important works by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Daniel Buren, Alexander Calder, Bruce Conner, James Ensor, Dan Flavin, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, On Kawara, Sol LeWitt, René Magritte, Agnes Martin, Francis Picabia, Ed Ruscha, Thomas Schutte, Dorothea Tanning, Mark Tansey, Rosemarie Trockel, Cy Twombly, and many others.
Throughout his career, Marcus has participated in many of the world’s leading international art fairs, including Art Basel, The ADAA Art Show in New York, The Armory Show, and ARCO Madrid. He operates his advisory practice from New York City and travels frequently to London and throughout Europe, continuing to guide collectors and institutions with discretion, rigor, and a highly refined understanding of the global art landscape.
Services
Collector Advisory
Providing discreet, strategic guidance to private collectors across primary and secondary markets, with a focus on building coherent, historically grounded collections of postwar, modern, and contemporary art.
Institutional & Foundation Advisory
Artist & Estates Advisory
Secondary Market &
Private Sales
Collection Strategy & Legacy Planning
Advising museums, foundations, and nonprofit institutions on acquisitions, deaccessioning strategy, and collection development, with a commitment to long-term cultural stewardship.
Working with living artists and artists’ estates in concert with their established representation and professional teams to shape, protect, and advance artistic legacies through thoughtful long-term planning and implementation.
Sourcing and placing important 20th-century and contemporary works through private transactions, with a rigorous emphasis on provenance, market positioning, and institutional relevance.
Guiding collectors and artists through long-range planning for collections and estates, including philanthropic strategy, institutional placement, and legacy execution.
Curt Marcus Gallery
1986 - 2002
Selection of Historic Exhibitions:
1995
1999
2000
2001
1980
1983
1984
Curt Marcus Gallery Inc. opened in 1986 at 578 Broadway in Soho New York City. The gallery focused on representing American and European artists of the 20th Century with an emphasis on Contemporary art. Artists represented by the gallery included: Bruce Conner, Barbara Ess, Michel François, Mark Innerst, Kevin Larmon, Richard Misrach, Gina Pane, Richard Pettibone, Marina Rosenfeld, Nancy Shaver, Mark Tansey, Philippe Thomas, Not Vital, Michael Zwack among others. The gallery had a roster of more than 25 artists and handled the day-to-day operations of representing their works, including presentation, archiving, exhibitions both in house as well as arranging and assisting with museum and other joint gallery exhibitions throughout the country, nationally and internationally. In addition to presenting solo and group exhibitions of artists, the gallery also presented themed historical and contemporary exhibitions. During this time, the gallery cultivated and worked with a broad base of important collections including private, public foundations, and museums.
“Sculpture As Objects: 1915-1995”. curated by Curt Marcus and Timothy Baum. Among artists included: Acconci, Beuys, Bourgeois, Breton, Broodthaers, Conner, Duchamp, Ernst, Giacometti, Hesse, Magritte, Pettibone, Ray, Schwitters, Warhol and others. Illustrated catalogue.
“Drawings From The 1960’s & 1970’s”. curated by Curt Marcus and Joyce Nereaux: Works by Jo Baer, Lee Bontecou, Eva Hesse and Agnes Martin.
“Apropos of Marcel Duchamp, Making Art After Marcel Duchamp in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. curated by Curt Marcus and Francis Naumann. Works by Mike Bidlo, Sherrie Levine, Richard Pettibone and Elaine Sturtevant. Illustrated catalogue.
“Drawings From The 1960’s & 1970’s II”. curated by Curt Marcus and Joyce Nereaux. Works by Mel Bochner, Barry Le Va, Keith Sonnier, and Richard Tuttle.
“In Process; Photographs from the 1960’s and 1970’s”. curated by Curt Marcus and Joyce Nereaux. Works by Giovanni Anselmo, Mel Bochner, Alighiero e Boetti, Dan Flavin, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol Le Witt, Mario Merz, Robert Morris, Giuseppe Penone, Robert Smithson, Keith Sonnier, Lawrence Weiner, among others.
“Sculpture” Barry Le Va, Richard Nonas and Fred Sandback. The exhibition was a site-specific collaboration and installation.
1977 - 1985
Hired as associate of Grace Borgenicht Gallery in New York City. Became Director of the gallery in 1981.
Selection of Exhibitions:
1980 - 1985
1996 - 1999
Curated annual “Invitational Exhibitions” introducing new artists, a selection of them subsequently joined the gallery stable of artists. Among artists having their first exposure in New York City: Donald Baechler, Mark Innerst, Barbara Kruger, Martin Puryear, Mark Tansey, Walter Robinson, among others.
Curated Historical Survey Exhibitions,
1979-1985:
1979 - 1985
1996 - 2002
1999 - 2003
Solo Exhibitions on Gallery Artists: Milton Avery, Max Beckmann, Stuart Davis.
“The Gloucester Years”, Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley and Edward Hopper, illustrated catalogue.
E.L. Kirchner, Paintings and Works on Paper, illustrated catalogue.
“Survey of 20th Century German Prints” Organized with Sabine Knust, Munich and Wolfgang Wittrock, Dusseldorf
”Max Beckmann, Paintings and Works on Paper” Organized with Margrete Schultz, Quappi Beckmann and Catherine Viviano, illustrated catalogue.
Organizations & Affiliations
1991 - 1992
1993 - 2003
2010 - 2018
Selection Committee Member for ARCO, Madrid
Member of The Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA).
On the Board of Directors for ADAA (3 year term).
Membership Committee to nominate new members for ADAA.
The Art Show Committee for the ADAA.
On the Board of Directors for the Marrakech Biennial