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A gallerist who prided himself on lifting up marginalized communities has been accused of exploiting those same artists, potentially jeopardizing his standing in the elite art world.
asserted
who → sign → world
Jonathan Carver Moore, 40, the founder and director of an art gallery of the same name, has been accused of baiting artists, ghosting them and refusing to pay for their sales, according to nine artists who spoke to the San Francisco Standard.
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who → accuse → Standard
He has said that some of the claims are inaccurate.
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some → say → claims
Seven of the artists have drafted a letter to Moore, demanding he return their pieces or pay them back, the Standard reported.
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Standard → draft → them
'To experience this treatment from a Black-owned gallery that publicly states its mission is to amplify the voices of underrepresented artists, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women artists, is not only inconsistent with that stated mission, it’s a serious breach of the trust we placed in you,' the letter said, according to the Standard.
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letter → experience → Standard
Demond Melancon, who says he is one of the affected artists, told the publication that he jumped at the chance to show 10 of his original ritual masks at the Expo Chicago art fair with Moore.
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he → say → Moore
'I wasn’t gonna show these pieces with Jonathan, but I trusted him, being one of the only other black gallerists in the country.
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I → go → country
So I tried to show him love in Chicago,' Melancon told the Standard.
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Melancon → try → Standard
The artist said the 10 pieces cost $70,500 in total.
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pieces → say → total
He said he agreed to receive half of the price, but was never paid.
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he → say → price
Melancon added that he pressed Moore for payment but said he received no response to his calls or emails.
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he → add → calls
Jonathan Carver Moore, pictured above in front of his gallery, has been accused of failing to pay artists after agreeing to show their pieces
Demond Melancon, pictured above posing for a portrait in April, is among several artists who have accused Moore of wrongdoing
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who → picture → wrongdoing
He is pictured above at a gala in 2024
Moore started his career in nonprofits, working at United Way Worldwide, one of the world's largest charities, and Out & Equal, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit.
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Moore → picture → charities
He also worked at Rosenberg, a nonprofit dedicated to racial and economic justice.
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He → work → justice
Moore founded his gallery on Market Street in 2023 and billed himself as the city's first black gay male gallerist.
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Moore → found → gallerist
The Standard described him as having breathed life into the part of the city's famous Tenderloin which has become known as the 'Transgender District'.
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which → describe → District
He told ARTnews that the gallery was not 'standard' and 'came out of a place of love,' adding, 'I did not come from the art world.
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I → tell → world
I cashed out my 401k to start a space for artists of color, queer artists, and women artists.
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I → cash → color
I was and am intentional in wanting to share the space and provide opportunities to artists that are often overlooked.'
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that → want → artists
'It is a financial struggle running a gallery.
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It → run → gallery
Unfortunately, it often takes a lot of time to receive payment from collectors and institutions—this in turn has a big impact on running the gallery as a business.
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this → take → business
This impacts artists payments, general overhead (rent, etc), deposits for art fairs and more.
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This → impact → fairs
I wish we were more transparent in sharing how this all works and how it has a direct effect on everyone involved,' he continued.
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he → wish → everyone
'I care so much about the arts community and will continue to learn the business and make things right.'
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things → care → business
Kevin Poorman, a Chicago-based collector, told the Standard that he paid Moore $8,800 for one of Melancon's masks, but struggled to contact him after the sale.
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he → base → sale
He added that Moore asked if they could delay delivery to show the piece at a museum show, but Poorman later learned the exhibition was canceled.
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exhibition → add → show
'I’ve called and emailed on numerous occasions, but no one has picked up.
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one → call → occasions
I wrote him a demand letter.
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I → write → letter
It got returned.
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It → return → ?
I’m a lawyer by training, so I did my own brain surgery, yet I was stupid enough to leave him in custody of my artwork,' Poorman told the Standard.
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Poorman → ’m → Standard
Adana Tillman also wrote online that Moore had not paid her for the sale of nine of her works, according to the Standard.
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Moore → write → Standard
Chantal Hildebrand recounted a similar problem, accusing Moore of failing to pay her thousands for her artwork.
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Hildebrand → recount → artwork
She told the Standard that she provided Moore with six works over the past year, including one piece that cost $9,000 for the San Francisco Art Fair.
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that → tell → Fair
Adana Tillman also accused Moore of failing to pay her for her work.
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Tillman → accuse → work
The two are pictured above together at an event in August
Melancon claimed that he gave 10 of his pieces to Moore, but was never paid his share for his work
Artists including Cydne Jasmin Coleby and Chantal Hildebrand are among those who have voiced their concerns about Moore's practices
Hildebrand claimed that after the fair, Moore's communication became inconsistent and she never received invoices for her work.
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she → picture → work
She later learned from a collector that one of her pieces was discounted without her consent, and a buyer put down a deposit but never received the work.
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buyer → learn → work
Cydne Jasmin Coleby, who claimed to the Standard that she is owed $7,000 for one of her pieces, said she believed Moore was 'somebody who’s promoting, championing, and uplifting artists, but behind the scenes he’s exploiting them.'
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he → claim → them
She said she met Moore at an art fair in Florida last year, and they agreed on a post-sale payment plan for her work.
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they → say → work
Coleby claimed she has no idea where the artwork is, and a representative from her gallery reported it stolen.
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it → claim → gallery
'It’s been really heartbreaking and disappointing, to say the least,' she said.
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she → say → least
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
