Jay Gorney, director of contemporary art at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, is leaving the powerhouse gallery, the gallery confirmed today.

Gorney joined the blue chip gallery, founded by former Sotheby’s directors Lucy Mitchell-Innes and David Nash, in 2005, to run its Chelsea space, after leaving his own gallery Gorney Bravin + Lee, which he founded in 1998.

Gorney has been a doyen of the New York gallery scene for over 25 years. He opened his first gallery, Jay Gorney Modern Art in the East Village in 1985 showcasing artists like Sherrie Levine, Tim Rollins + K.O.S., and Haim Steinbach. The gallery moved to Greene Street, in SoHo in 1988, where Gorney showed renowned artists Gillian Wearing and Catherine Opie, among many others, and presented solo shows of artists Richard Prince, Joseph Kosuth, and Michelangelo Pistoletto. Known for his talent at discovering contemporary artists, his eye and his clout haven’t wavered much. Last year, he picked up a trio of highly coveted emerging artists Keltie Ferris, Daniel Lefcourt, and Sarah Braman.

While at at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, his focus has been on developing a wide-ranging program that spans modern masters to emerging artists.

Gorney couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.