NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby's announced today’s launch of Sotheby’s Gallery Network: an online, buy-now marketplace for a selection of trusted gallery partners on sothebys.com. Sotheby’s Gallery Network will help its partners to make immediate sales during these unprecedented times, by utilizing both the auction house's extensive digital reach and their full-service transactional platform.

Sotheby’s Gallery Network will provide each of its partners with a bespoke online presence, featuring a digital viewing room of property available for immediate sale at publicly-listed prices. Purchases of works valued up to $150,000 can be completed with ease as point-of-sale transactions on Sotheby’s online platform. Users will have the option to “enquire” regarding the sale of works listed in excess of $150,000.

All works listed by its partners through the Gallery Network are offered exclusively through Sotheby’s, with the auction house's standards of scholarship and authenticity applying to all works on offer. Works will be delivered directly to purchasers worldwide, subject to any local restrictions.

By participating in Sotheby’s Gallery Network, partners also will benefit from Sotheby's extensive digital marketing channels, bringing their artists and works to new global audiences. The platform will present clients worldwide with new collecting opportunities, offering priority access to works by both established and highly-coveted up-and-coming artists.

Sotheby’s Gallery Network launched today in partnership with a selection of New York’s most respected galleries:

Saara Pritchard, Senior Specialist of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s, commented: “As the art world continues to grapple with and acclimate to the circumstances of our current moment, we are proud to be able to support our gallery peers with this online sales platform, as well as offer Sotheby’s clients new and exclusive works of art through this partnership with many internationally-renowned galleries. Sotheby’s has made a point of investing significantly in our proprietary digital tools over the past several years, and this network provides an opportunity to extend that investment to support the larger art market during this time. By uniting our different strengths, we believe this type of cooperative arrangement can be a model for success not only during the short-term, but also as a long-term reciprocal project to support all levels of the market.”

Rachel Lehmann, Lehmann Maupin Gallery Co-Founder, said: “The digital world is so important these days. This was true long before COVID-19 but is ever more apparent to us now. When we team up with partners and collaborate, our world becomes bigger. In this new initiative, we see an opportunity to expand our reach and promote our artists and their work to an international audience. One of Sotheby’s strengths is its commitment to curatorial integrity, even when dealing with the marketplace. We trust they will provide rich curatorial context for our artists when showcasing artworks online. This context is extremely important to us, as is the ability for collectors to have a seamless experience online, including the ability for direct purchase.”

Roland Augustine and Lawrence Luhring, Co-founders and Principals of Luhring Augustine Gallery, remarked: “It is our pleasure to be included in the inaugural group of galleries invited to take part in Sotheby’s new Gallery Network online platform, along with many of our esteemed colleagues. As we celebrate our 35th anniversary, we continue in our steadfast dedication to introduce a continually expanding audience to the extraordinary work of the renowned artists with whom we are proud to collaborate. Our participation in this initiative continues in that very spirit.”

Angela Westwater, Founding Partner of Sperone Westwater Gallery, commented: “2020 marks the 45th anniversary of our gallery, and this year we designed our program to reflect our history by showcasing the work of artists who have shown with the gallery for many years. With exhibitions currently on pause, the Sotheby’s Gallery Network offers us the opportunity to share our history and highlight the work of this extraordinary group of artists in a way that has been intelligently tailored to the current situation. We are excited about this new initiative and believe it will suit the gallery well.”