COURTESY RACHEL UFFNER GALLERY
Sam Moyer, a longtime member of the artist roster at Rachel Uffner Gallery on Lower East Side in Manhattan, is joining Chelsea’s Sean Kelly Gallery, Uffner confirmed to ARTnews during a phone call this evening. The departure was announced in an email that Uffner sent to her friends and clients today.
“This is happening, and I’m proud of the work we did together, and I wish her luck moving forward,” Uffner said over the phone. “I’m sad about it—she’s been a big part of the gallery for six and a half years.”
Moyer’s last solo exhibition at the gallery was in 2014, and her work has appeared in two group shows at the space this year. Her first show at the gallery was in 2010.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and as much as you think that you’re supporting an artist, it’s out of your control,” Uffner said. “The move—you know, I never wanted it to happen, but it didn’t come out of thin air.”
Moyer did not respond to an email.
Uffner’s email also announced that the gallery has hired a new director, Alexandra Giniger, previously a managing director at Greene Naftali Gallery in Chelsea. She starts October 19.
Update, September 30, 6:12 p.m.: On Friday evening, I was able to reach Sean Kelly on the phone. “We’re extremely excited about Sam joining the gallery, as she’s one of the most talented artists of her generation,” he said. “She’s a terrifically smart and talented artist.”
“She was extremely respectful of her relationship to Rachel and continues to be so,” Kelly added. “It was a difficult decision for her, because she’s a loyal person. We’re very grateful for Rachel for all the work that she’s put behind Sam. We’re excited for the next phase of Sam’s career, and we’re absolutely thrilled that she’s joining the gallery.”
Plans for her first solo exhibition at the gallery are underway, he said, but a date has not been set.