NEW YORK, NY.- The Armory Show announced today that Nicole Berry has been appointed Deputy Director, with direct oversight of VIP and visitor relations, effective October 2016. Ms. Berry joins The Armory Show from Expo Chicago, where she has served as Deputy Director since 2011, playing a prominent role in expanding the fairs exhibitor list and collector base, both internationally and in the American Midwest.
Staged in the art capital of the world, The Armory Show is New Yorks premier art fair and one of the most widely attended global art events, welcoming over 65,000 visitors annually. Ms. Berry brings to the fair expansive and meaningful collector relations coupled with over a decade of experience in galleries and art fairs.
In her new role, Ms. Berry will oversee The Armory Shows expanded VIP program and improved visitor services as well as spearhead new initiatives, including targeted collector cultivation events in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Paris and Sao Paulo. Aided by her diverse background working with museums and galleries, Ms. Berry will also assist in the expansion of the fairs new curatorial initiatives, which include the Focus and Platform sections, curated by Jarrett Gregory, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Eric Shiner, former Director of The Andy Warhol Museum.
We are thrilled to welcome Nicole to our expanding team, said Benjamin Genocchio, Executive Director of The Armory Show. She brings a wealth of talent and experience that will further develop The Armory Show as a powerful platform for leading international galleries and collectors alike, further cementing our place as Americas preeminent art fair.
Ms. Berry joins The Armory Show following several other staff appointments and promotions at the fair, including the creation of new positions in the marketing, corporate partnership and production departments.
Upon her appointment, Ms. Berry remarked, I am grateful for the opportunity to join Ben and the talented Armory Show team in their efforts to bring a new vision to a storied fair. I am also delighted to return to New York, the epicenter of the art world, and I look forward to contributing to the success of the 2017 edition.
Raised in San Francisco, Ms. Berry received a Bachelors Degree from Colgate University and a Master's Degree in Art History from the University of California at Davis. She has been active in the international art world as an art historian, art writer, curator and art advisor for over a decade. She began her career in the Contemporary Department at Sotheby's in London and subsequently worked in New York City at Vivian Horan Fine Art, James Goodman Gallery and as Director at Nathan A. Bernstein Gallery. In 2006, Ms. Berry created Accessible Art, a company that provides advising and consulting services in addition to reviews and information on global art events. Ms. Berry continues to lecture on a range of topics from collection building to navigating fine and museums and international art fairs.