gallerist

American  

[gal-uh-rist] / ˈgæl ə rɪst /

noun

1. the owner of an art gallery.

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gallerist British  

/ ˈɡæləˌrɪst /

noun

1. a person who owns or runs an art gallery

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Etymology

Origin of gallerist

First recorded in 1965–70; galler(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

A person who owns or runs an art gallery can be called a gallerist. If you love the idea of buying and selling paintings and sculptures, being a gallerist might be your dream job. Gallerist, a relatively new word that was coined from gallery, is preferred by some in the art world to the older term art dealer. A gallerist handles the business side of art, representing specific artists by showing their work in a gallery and selling it to collectors, museums, and art enthusiasts. Many gallerists have college degrees in art history and a lifelong appreciation for art.

Example Sentences

Roberts is not only Saar’s gallerist but a close friend, someone who clearly loves her and thinks endlessly about the best way to preserve her artistic legacy alongside her family.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

“You don’t see them walking around, and stopping in a gallery, and buying art, and trying to cultivate connoisseurship with their siblings or their children,” said Valerie Wade, a San Francisco gallerist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

For weeks now, the former gallerist has been spending part of her days "revisiting my life" through old photo albums, smiling about everything she "had the chance to experience".

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Christopher Bishop, a Manhattan gallerist who also owns Master Drawings New York, an art fair whose focus is works on paper, cannot say enough about the value of a conservator.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2024

“I still continue to paint; I make paintings in my head. I now have limited energy which I need to conserve and cannot waste putting paint to canvas,” he once told art gallerist Dadiba Pundole.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2024