Sotheby’s today announced that art market veteran Candy Coleman will join the company’s global Contemporary Art team later this summer. Based on the West Coast, Coleman’s new role will draw upon her deep relationships and decades of market experience and focus on business development opportunities globally. A trusted advisor to both collectors and artists, Coleman comes to Sotheby’s after 21 years leading the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. This appointment is a return to Sotheby’s for Coleman, who previously spent a decade in the Contemporary art department in New York from 1985-1995.

Amy Cappellazzo, Chairman of Sotheby’s Fine Art Division, stated, “Candy is an established market powerhouse, and she brings to Sotheby’s extensive private sale experience, as well as a commitment to artists over the long term. She has helped build extensive private and public collections, while also thoughtfully representing artists’ careers. Candy has also been a key figure on the West Coast for decades, playing a critical role in establishing Los Angeles as the center for Contemporary art that it is today. She joins an extremely talented global team, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to Sotheby’s.”

“It is an ideal moment to return not only to the auction market, but to Sotheby’s,” commented Candy Coleman. “The art market is in a period of evolution and Sotheby’s is expanding the traditional role of an auction house. I am particularly excited by the opportunities that exist to bridge the secondary market with the interests of artists and their primary markets. The infrastructure and reach of an international auction house, and particularly a publicly-held one, offers distinct benefits to collectors and artists, as well as the market overall.”

Coleman will join the large and growing presence for Sotheby’s on the West Coast of the United States. Following the opening of new offices and galleries both in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Sotheby’s has also recently added a number of new specialists to its team: In early July, Peter Kloman joined Sotheby’s as a Senior Fine Art Specialist. Kloman’s expertise spans the 20th century, with particular depth in American Art, having spent nine years in the American department at Christie’s in New York, before moving to Los Angeles for a total of sixteen years at the auction house.

Formerly a member of the Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day Sale team in New York, Colin Smith has recently relocated to Los Angeles and joins the West Coast team as a Contemporary Specialist. Mike Hoagland was recently appointed a Senior Specialist responsible for Sotheby’s Wine business in the Western United States. Hoagland joined Sotheby’s after working as a Champagne Specialist for Dom Pérignon, Krug, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, and Moët & Chandon.

Andrea Fiuczynski, Sotheby’s Chairman of the Americas, commented, “Over the past two years, Sotheby’s has significantly expanded its presence on the West Coast and deepened its commitment to the region. Candy, Peter, Mike and Colin each bring significant expertise and incomparable relationships in their fields, enabling Sotheby’s to best support collectors and expand the market in the Western United States.”

Prior to joining Sotheby’s in 1985, Coleman worked as a Studio Manager for Julian Schnabel and as Director for Massimo Audiello Gallery in New York City’s East Village. At Sotheby’s she further honed her expertise cataloguing many historic auctions including the collections of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Ganz, Andy Warhol and Charles Saatchi. Coleman joined Gagosian Gallery in 1995 as a founding director of the first satellite location in Los Angeles. She managed the artist Ed Ruscha for 17 years, organizing exhibitions for him at the Venice Biennale, the Hammer Museum, and the Museo Tamayo.

She also managed the career of Robert Therrien and has helped Gagosian Gallery arrange exhibitions for artists including Jeff Koons and Arshile Gorky. Coleman is a benefactor of major museums and arts organizations, including Americans for the Arts and The Stuart Collection at University of California, San Diego. She joined the board of The New Children’s Museum (NCM) in San Diego in 2010.