gallerist
Americannoun
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fiberglass statue known as Chicken Boy stands on the roof of artist, designer and gallerist Amy Inouye’s studio on Figueroa Street in Highland Park.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 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
With all the difficulties that accompany being a gallerist these days, Ms. Cedar proves that it’s most rewarding to be a happy warrior.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
