Reimagining the Role of the Gallerist in a Shifting Art World

By Florcy Morisset

In a post-election America, 97% of Black women say they’re choosing rest. Not just physical rest—but radical rest. Rest as protest. Rest as preservation. Rest as strategy.

The question is: What does this kind of rest look like in the art world?

As a gallerist, curator, and Black woman founder, I’ve been sitting with this deeply. Especially as art fairs shrink, artist-led boycotts rise, and collectors grow more intentional with their money.

The traditional role of the gallerist is being disrupted—rightfully so. Artists are no longer waiting for validation through a booth at Art Basel or a feature in a blue-chip gallery. Many are building audiences on their own terms, selling directly to collectors, and bypassing middlemen who once claimed to be necessary.

And as the art market tightens, buyers are more discerning. They’re looking for cultural context, spiritual value, and legacy—not just price tags.

So where does that leave galleries?

Where does it leave people like me?

We evolve.

We become bridge-builders, not gatekeepers. We host intimate collector dinners and community activations instead of sterile showings.

We educate buyers on the histories and futures our artists come from. We incubate talent, protect artist equity, and foster intergenerational dialogue.

The next era of the art world won’t live in museums alone. It will live in Black-owned homes, private salons, reclaimed industrial spaces, and digital showrooms. It will prioritize rest and resistance over relentless hustle.

What is the role of a gallerist?

It will be shaped by those who dare to reimagine it.

The truth is, if the gallery doesn’t evolve—it will be left behind. But those of us who center culture, community, and care will thrive.

We are not just curating art. We’re curating a new economy, a new rhythm, a new world.

Let’s reimagine it—together.