Inherited Walls and New Eyes: When Art Galleries Become Family Heirlooms
Stepping into a family-run gallery often means walking through decades of intertwined personal history and artistic ambition. In Mexico City, Cristobal Riestra grew up inside OMR, the gallery his parents launched the year he was born, absorbing both the creative chaos and the business’s evolving spirit. Succession here isn’t just a handover—it’s a balancing act between honoring tradition and daring to innovate, as seen when Riestra blended his parents’ contrasting strengths to modernize the gallery’s approach.
Across the globe, this delicate relay repeats. Lauren Kelly at New York’s Sean Kelly Gallery learned to separate family ties from professional roles, carving her own path while collaborating with her father and brother. In London, Matthew Flowers and his mother Angela turned teamwork into a signature, launching exhibitions that spotlighted emerging talent. Meanwhile, in Sweden, Johan Hauffman and his father reimagined their gallery’s mission, shifting from decorative abundance to curated relationships with artists.
Family galleries are more than inherited businesses—they’re living legacies, shaped by both generational friction and shared vision, where every new leader adds a fresh brushstroke to the family canvas.
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