Sandra Eileen Gering (born Marks 1942) is an American gallerist, curator, and art dealer specializing in modern and contemporary art. She owned and operated commercial galleries in New York City. She is a proponent of conceptual art and interdisciplinary practices.

Biography

Born and raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Gering studied

dental hygiene Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carr ...

at the

University of Bridgeport The University of Bridgeport (UB or UBPT) is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin Unive ...

in the early 1960s. From 1964 to 1987, she was married to Norman Charles Gering and lived on Long Island. She took courses in art and arts administration at

The New School The New School is a Private university, private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for p ...

and at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. While a student, Gering began selling art out of her home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. In 1988, she moved to Manhattan and began organizing exhibitions in her West Village townhouse. This period was notable for introducing long-lasting relationships with artists

Dove Bradshaw Dove Bradshaw (born September 24, 1949) is an American artist whose work integrates natural processes and environmental factors. She is known for chemical paintings, erosion sculptures, and the use of crystals to capture radio transmissions. Her ...

and

William Anastasi William Anastasi (August 11, 1933 – November 27, 2023) was an American visual artist working in a wide range of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, photographic works, and text. He lived and worked in New York City from the early 1960 ...

, as well as the architect Simon Ungers.

Career

Gering opened her first gallery in 1991 on

Broome Street Broome Street is an east–west street in Lower Manhattan. It runs nearly the full width of Manhattan island, from Hudson Street in the west to Lewis Street in the east, near the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge. The street is interrupted ...

in Soho. She held exhibitions there by conceptual artists

Janine Antoni Janine Antoni (born January 19, 1964) is a Bahamian–born American artist, who creates contemporary work in performance art, sculpture, and photography. Antoni's work focuses on process and the transitions between the making and finished product, ...

, Orlan,

Xavier Veilhan Xavier Veilhan () is a French artist who works and lives in Paris, France. Career Significant projects include: Veilhan Versailles at the Palace and Gardens of the Palace of Versailles, Palais de Versailles in 2009; Architectones, a series o ...

, Jose Antonio Hernandez-Diez and

George Condo George Condo (born 1957) is an American visual artist who works in painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking. He lives and works in New York City. Early life Condo was born in Concord, New Hampshire. He studied art history and musi ...

. In 2001, she relocated to New York's Chelsea neighborhood, adding a new focus on technology and diverse media artists

John F. Simon Jr. John F. Simon Jr. (February 6, 1963, Louisiana) is a new media artist who works with LCD screens and computer programming. He currently lives and works in Warwick, New York. Simon holds several degrees: a BA in Art Studio and a BS in Geology fr ...

Leo Villareal Leo Villareal (born 1967) is an American artist. His work combines LED lights and encoded computer programming to create illuminated displays. He lives and works in New York City. Early life and education Villareal was born in 1967 in Albuque ...

, Jane Simpson, Craig Kaufman, Matthew McCaslin, Vincent Szarek,

David Tremlett David Tremlett (born 13 February 1945 in St Austell, Cornwall) is an English/Swiss sculptor, installation artist and photographer. He lives and works in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England. He is married to Laure Genillard who runs an art space in Lo ...

, and designer

Karim Rashid Karim Rashid (born 1960) is an Egyptian-born and Canadian-raised American industrial designer. His designs encompass a wide range of products, including luxury goods, furniture, lighting, surface design, brand identity, and packaging. Accordi ...

. From 2006 to 2013, Gering partnered with the Madrid gallerist Javier Lopez, expanding and relocating the gallery to the Crown Building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, its large exhibition space designed by the architect Joel Sanders. Gering & Lopez Gallery added pop-influenced artists and exhibitions during this period, including

KAWS Brian Donnelly (born November 4, 1974), known professionally as Kaws (stylized as KAWS), is an American artist and designer. His work includes repeated use of a cast of figurative characters and motifs, some dating back to the beginning of his ...

, Ryan McGinness,

Peter Halley Peter Halley (born 1953) is an American artist and a central figure in the Neo-Conceptualist movement of the 1980s. Known for his Day-Glo geometric paintings, Halley is also a writer, the former publisher of ''index Magazine'', and a teacher; he ...

David Levinthal David Lawrence Levinthal (born March 8, 1949) is an American photographer who lives and works in New York City. He uses small toys and props with dramatic lighting to construct miniature environments for subject matters varying from war scenes to ...

, Michael Bevilacqua and Todd James. The partnership ended in 2013, and Gering moved her gallery to Manhattan's

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the e ...

. Sandra Gering Inc. was located at 14 East 63rd Street. Gering positioned herself as both a gallery and a launching pad for national and international projects. She continues to promote and exhibit emerging and mid-career talent, while expanding her focus to include the management of other activities. Gering is a member of the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA), ArtTable, ARCO's International Organizing Committee, and is on the board of directors for Art OMI/The Fields Sculpture Park. Gering maintains a presence in a variety of international

art fairs An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is occasionally true, it is stated to be a "permanen ...

. She participates in panel discussions on contemporary art at venues ranging from the

Whitney Museum The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

to the

National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'', to "stimulate, foster, and promote publi ...

, and is a contributor to arts related fundraisers such as the Stephen Petronio Dance Company.

E-1027

In 1998, Gering founded Friends of E.1027, an organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the restoration and preservation of

E-1027 E-1027 is a Modern architecture, modernist villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of France. It was designed and built from 1926–1929 by the Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray an ...

Eileen Gray Eileen Gray (born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith; 9 August 187831 October 1976) was an Irish interior designer, furniture designer and architect who became a pioneer of the Modern architecture, Modern Movement in architecture. Over her career, s ...

’s house in Roquebrune-Cap Martin in the south of France. The modernist villa was designed and built by Gray and

Jean Badovici Jean Badovici (6 January 1893 – 17 August 1956) was a French architect and architecture critic of Romanian origin, active in Paris. Biography Born in Bucharest, Romania, Jean Badovici studied architecture in Paris after World War I. Since 1923 ...

between 1926 and 1929. Gray–a pioneer of the

modern architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...

movement–combined built-in furniture and specific spatial planning to engage the user with the building and site, incorporating the sun and the sea into the house. Arriving at the site in 1998, Gering found the house in a state of disrepair after years of neglect and vandalism. With Gering's help, the house was purchased by the

Conservatoire du littoral The ''Conservatoire du littoral'' ("Coastal protection agency") (official name: ''Conservatoire de l'espace littoral et des rivages lacustres'') is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas o ...

, a coastal conservancy agency, and subsequently classified as a French National Cultural Monument in 2000, which insures its survival and recognition as an important site in the world of architecture and design. Friends of E.1027 has earned not-for-profit status as a sponsored project of the

New York Foundation for the Arts The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...

, and continues to work with the French government and the township of Roquebrune-Cap Martin. Friends of E.1027 will reopen to the public 2015 as The Eileen Gray Museum, and has a long-term goal of creating a study center and travel grant for architecture and design students.

Additional

In 2013, Gering appeared in

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

’s “ Picasso Baby” performance art film, alongside other art industry figures.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gering, Sandra People from Chevy Chase, Maryland University of Bridgeport alumni The New School alumni New York University Institute of Fine Arts alumni American women curators American curators Art gallery owners 1942 births Living people