NEW YORK, NY.- Christie's Global President Alex Rotter announced today that Sara Friedlander has been named chairman of Post-War and Contemporary Art for the Americas.

In her new role, Friedlander—a renowned specialist and respected dealmaker who arrived at Christie's almost 20 years ago—will leverage decades of experience with artists, advisors, and collectors to drive and define the market for post-war and contemporary art, with a specific focus on works from the last 50 years.

Friedlander's expertise in bringing important collections to market make her an ideal fit. For the upcoming Marquee Week in New York, Friedlander brought masterpiece-level property from the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art to Christie's, as well as the Edlis | Neeson Collection, the cornerstone of the 21st Century sale and one of the most renowned post-war and contemporary art collections ever created.

In her two decades at Christie's, Friedlander was also instrumental in bringing The Eppler Family Collection, the Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection, The Barney A. Ebsworth Collection, The Gerald Fineberg Collection, and many others to market.

Friedlander's dedication and skill have also led to world record prices for artists such as Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Lee Bontecou, and others. In 2022, Friedlander was central to a world-record price for artist Ernie Barnes, whose piece The Sugar Shack sold for $15.3 million, 76 times its high estimate, after a 10-minute bidding war. In May 2025, Friedlander's work led to a world-record prices for Surrealist Dorothea Tanning and for Marlene Dumas, also a record for any living female artist at auction.

Friedlander is on the boards of the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Rose Art Museum and acts as a charity auctioneer.

“Sara is a trusted advisor to both clients and colleagues,” said Alex Rotter. “Her deep expertise, commitment to excellence, and passion for creativity have made her a respected and beloved figure in this industry, and an invaluable member of the Christie's team. As we continue to evolve, grow, and strengthen our important 20/21 team, Sara 's enhanced leadership role will no doubt inject new energy into the market and redefine the market for art from the last 50 years, an important part of our business.”

Friedlander's promotion follows several other leadership changes in the 20/21 cluster. Earlier this year, Rotter—who founded the 20/21 cluster in 2021—was named global president of Christie's. Renowned specialist Max Carter was named chairman of 20/21 in the Americas region in September. Global auction sales for the 20/21 cluster at Christie's totalled $2.7B in 2024. The category is the leading contributor to Christie's sales—globally and in the Americas—at both auction and in private sales.