A NEW ZWIRNER GALLERY WITH AN ALL-BLACK STAFF. The dealer David Zwirner has hired Ebony L. Haynes, a gallerist who is Black, as the director of a new exhibition program and commercial gallery space in Manhattan, for which she plans to employ an all-Black staff.
“While you could argue that strides have been made on the artist side, the art world acts almost shamefully on the employment side,” Mr. Zwirner said, speaking of equal opportunities for people of color. “Something has to happen.”
At a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has raised awareness about the scarcity and struggles of Black-run galleries, the new Zwirner enterprise represents a strong commitment from a mega dealer.
Mr. Zwirner said he began talking in January with Ms. Haynes, a former director at Martos Gallery on the Lower East Side, about becoming a director at his Chelsea gallery. But when Ms. Haynes described her vision for a kunsthalle with an all-Black staff, Mr. Zwirner said he decided to give Ms. Haynes her own separate space.
Brother With Attitude 