Displaying items by tag: steven murphy

The former director of the Barnes Foundation is crossing over to the commercial side of the art world. Derek Gillman, who led the Barnes’s controversial move from its original home in Merion, Pennsylvania to downtown Philadelphia, joined Christie’s on January 5 as chairman and senior vice president of Impressionist and Modern art, the Americas.

Gillman joins the auction house in the midst of a management shake-up. Last month, Christie’s chief executive officer Steven Murphy was replaced by Patricia Barbizet.

Christie’s International Plc’s president of its Americas division will step down following the surprise departure of its chief executive officer last week.

Doug Woodham, who has held the position for two years, will leave the London-based auction house at the end of the month, Christie’s said today in an e-mailed statement.

After four years as Christie’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Steven Murphy announced that he will leave his post at the auction house. The surprise announcement, which was issued on Tuesday, December 2, came just twelve days after William Ruprecht, the CEO of Sotheby’s for fourteen years, announced his resignation. The two auction houses have long battled for primacy in the art market, though Christie’s has been considered the leader in recent years thanks to a growing online presence, expanded markets in China and Mumbai, and astronomical contemporary art sales.

Murphy will be succeeded by Patricia Barbizet, the Executive Director of Artémis Group, the investment company founded by French billionaire François Pinault, who also owns Christie’s. Barbizet will retain her position at Artémis as well as her role as the Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Christie’s.

Christie’s announced that it will hold its first ever sale in India during December of this year in order to tap into the country’s burgeoning art scene. The London-based auction house has had an office in Mumbai for the past 20 years.

The upcoming sale will include domestic artwork and according to Christie’s chief executive, Steven Murphy,” will reflect “the increased international appeal of Indian art and the growing participation of Indian collectors across international sale categories.” The sale will be the first of its kind by an international auction house in India.

Interest in western art has increased in India over the past decade thanks in part to the country’s substantial economic growth. The first auction of international masterpieces in India took place last year in New Delhi and included works by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. The demand for Indian artworks outside of India continues to grow. In 2010, a painting by Indian artist Syed Haider Raza sold for nearly $3.6 billion at Christie’s London, setting the record for a modern Indian work.  

Christie’s announced this week that it has named Doug Woodham the president of Christie’s Americas. Woodham has spent the last 20 years working in finance, technology, and business, holding jobs at UBS Wealth Management and Moody’s KMV, an analytics company that helps capital markets and credit risk management professionals worldwide.

Christie’s former president, Marc Porter, is now the international head of private sales and will continue to serve as the chairman of Christie’s Americas. Woodham, who will report directly to Christie’s CEO Steven Murphy, will be responsible for the overall management of the company in the Americas.

Woodham’s art world experience includes a two-year stint as the co-chair of the American Fellows patron program at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He played a pivotal role in developing a financial plan for funding the Whitney’s new building; a Renzo Piano designed the $750 million structure that will open in New York’s meatpacking district in 2015.