NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s today announced that Eric Shiner, Director of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will join Sotheby’s this September. Based in New York, Shiner will enter Sotheby’s Fine Art Division as a Senior Vice President focused on private sales of 20th- and 21st-century art.
Eric Shiner’s new role follows eight years at The Andy Warhol Museum, where he has served as Director since 2011. During his tenure there, Eric oversaw notable successes for the institution including: played a lead role in bringing together Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal, the largest traveling exhibition of Andy Warhol artwork in Asia; oversaw the museum’s current show, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, developed in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria and with participation from the artist himself; and filled an important gap in the museum’s collection with the acquisition of Do It Yourself (Sailboats) from 1962. Eric’s successes in Asia are closely tied to his background in Asian art and Japanese Contemporary art in particular, having attended graduate school in Osaka and maintaining strong relationships across the continent.
Amy Cappellazzo, Chairman of Sotheby’s Fine Art Division, commented: “As demonstrated throughout his time as museum curator and director, Eric has an entrepreneurial spirit that is well-suited for a dynamic art business. As a respected scholar, his unique background at the nexus of Asian and Contemporary art will lend itself well to his new position, in which he will work closely with collectors and focus on private sales of 20th and 21st century art.”
Lisa Dennison, Chairman of Sotheby’s Americas and former Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, said: “I am delighted to welcome another talented museum professional into our ranks. Throughout his time at The Andy Warhol Museum, as both a curator and director, Eric gained unparalleled knowledge of one of the most important American artists of the 20th century, whose work is perennially sought-after on the market. His skills, relationships, expertise and drive all position him for success in today’s art market.”
Eric Shiner offered: “I am thrilled to be joining the dynamic Fine Art team at Sotheby's. I look forward to bringing my commitment to innovation, and deep knowledge of the contemporary art world to bear in helping to place extraordinary works of art in the best public and private collections in the world. I hope to further promote the legacy of Andy Warhol, the father of contemporary art, in the market and beyond, while also creating new legacies for those that follow him. Warhol constantly blurred the lines between art and business in all that he did, and I trust that my own commitment to excellence in both spheres will serve me well in this new role.”
Eric Shiner became Director of The Andy Warhol Museum in 2011. Prior to that, he was the interim director, as well as Milton Fine Curator of Art. At the museum, Shiner organized Factory Direct: Pittsburgh, an exhibition that showcased the artwork of 14 established contemporary artists invited to conduct artist residencies in Pittsburgh-based factories. In addition, Shiner led The Warhol team in creating the first retrospective of appropriation artist Deborah Kass, Before and Happily Ever After. In 2013 Shiner curated for The Armory Show Armory Focus: USA, which presented a broad snapshot of the country’s contemporary cultural practice.
Shiner is a scholar of contemporary Japanese art and a leading authority on Warhol. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in The History of Art & Architecture and Japanese Language & Literature from The University of Pittsburgh Honors College in 1994, a Master of Arts degree in The History of Art from Osaka University in 2001, and a Master of Arts degree in The History of Art from Yale in 2003.
