Episode 35: Jessica Porter

Episode 36: Tanya Morgan

On this episode I speak with Tanya Morgan who is the Chief Operating Officer at Nicola Vassell Gallery. We talk about all the responsibilities of a COO at a contemporary art gallery and what are some of the most underutilized skills in gallery management. We also touch on her time as a Collections Manager at Concept NV, an art advisory firm she managed with Nicola Vassell, and what it’s like to work as the lead logistics director on numerous special projects like BLACK EYE and No Commission, and her work with Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz on the Dean Collection.

Episode 35: Jessica Porter

On this episode I speak with Jessica Porter who is the Executive Director of ArtTable. We talk about providing leadership and oversight in fundraising to meet financial goals, and directing communications and brand management to enhance ArtTable’s success. We also touch on how she launched Porter Advisory, an art advisory firm, and Porter Contemporary, a Chelsea art gallery, and how she balanced that with being a lawyer. We also delve into the future of gender-based organizations and pay equity in the arts.

Episode 34: Lydia Melamed Johnson

On this episode I speak with Lydia Melamed Johnson who is the Executive Director of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) and The Photography Show. We talk about the newest edition of the fair opening on April 23, 2025, what it’s like running a photography fair, and what visitors can expect from this 2025 edition. We also talk about her time as the Partnerships and VIP Relations Officer for Paris Photo and Paris Photo New York presented with AIPAD, where she was the US representative on the Paris Photo team launching the postponed fair in the Americas and her role as Director at Robert Simon Fine Art.

Episode 33: Maëlle Ebelle

On this episode I speak with Maëlle Ebelle who is the Director at Ceysson & Bénétière. We talk about her professional journey at the gallery from when she joined the team in May 2012 in Genève, to then relocating to Luxembourg, and finally landing at their New York Madison Avenue location. We also touch on her studies in France as well as upcoming exhibitions, Bao Vuong: The Waves’ Breathing [https://www.ceyssonbenetiere.com/en/exhibitions/bao-vuong-new-york-2025-1327/] and Dennis Osadebe: Forcing Connections [https://www.ceyssonbenetiere.com/en/exhibitions/dennis-osadebe-new-york-2025-1330/] at Ceysson & Bénétière.

Episode 32: Aki Carpenter

In this episode I speak with Aki Carpenter who is RAA’s global Vice President and Chief Creative Officer. We talk about what it means to provide vision and creative direction on design projects, what it was like opening over ten award-winning museums and cultural institutions worldwide, her work on the upcoming Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and her passion for working with issues- and mission-based institutions. We also talk about her passion project, Ripple Effect, a New Orleans based environmental education start-up dedicated to K-12 education about socio-ecological issues of climate change, and what it’s been like for her as a female leader in the design field.