c/o Tilton Gallery
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The Upper East Side is losing a major player in the contemporary art world. Tilton Gallery, long known for championing emerging talent and rediscovering overlooked artists, has announced that its upcoming show will be its last.
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The final exhibition—a presentation of works by late abstract artist Ruth Vollmer—will open September 30 and run through November 15 at the gallery’s longtime home at 8 East 76th Street. After that, the doors will close for good (h/t artnews.com).The closure marks the end of an era for a gallery that helped shape contemporary art discourse in New York. Founded by Jack Tilton in 1983, the gallery originally operated out of Betty Parsons’s former West 57th Street space before relocating to SoHo, and ultimately settling on the Upper East Side in 2005. Tilton died in 2017, and the gallery has since been helmed by his widow, Connie Rogers Tilton.
“This will be the gallery’s final formal exhibition,” she said in a statement. “After eight meaningful years continuing the gallery without Jack, it is time to pursue my own projects in a more private setting.”
Throughout its run, Tilton Gallery was widely respected for its bold curatorial vision. It was an early home to artists like Glenn Ligon, Kiki Smith, and Marlene Dumas, while also exhibiting major international figures such as David Hammons, Zhang Peili, and Huang Yong Ping.
The gallery’s closure follows a wave of recent shutterings across the art world, including LA Louver and Venus Over Manhattan. But Rogers Tilton hinted at a quieter next chapter, one that may include private sales or research.
“I am incredibly grateful,” she said, “and I hope to continue to maintain these relationships into the future.”
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