The Rural We: Christopher Boswell
The gallerist, curator, and auctioneer will be opening up his art gallery in South Lee, Massachusetts this fall.
How does someone with a degree in international affairs from George Washington University and who studied political science abroad, become an art gallerist, curator and auctioneer? That was our question to Christopher Boswell. He has been curating international exhibitions for American, European, African, and Canadian artists since 1999. In October, he will open his gallery, CB Fine Arts in South Lee, Massachusetts, concentrating on representation of African-American artists in addition to all painting, photography and sculpture artists.
I was born in Westchester and raised in Ossining, New York. My mother was a teacher, and we would spend the summers in Williamstown, going to all the cultural things in the area. I studied international affairs at George Washington University and in Cambridge, England. In Strausbourg, France, I studied the history of France and became fluent in French. After college I still had somewhat of a political aspiration, and became a UN correspondent for a bilingual newspaper. That’s when I started going to cultural events and writing about artists. I found I much preferred doing that than politics. I lived in Paris in the 90s and did shows in France during the summer.
When I was teaching French in Younkers, still writing for art magazines and getting further into the historical narrative of the Black arts scene in Harlem. I came across a woman in Harlem who had a gallery that she rented out. I thought, why don’t I take a chance and do a popup gallery?
I also did an internship at the Norman Rockwell Museum, where I got to experience south county as an adult. After the Rockwell Museum I worked at Sotheby’s in New York, where I got bit by the auction bug and wound up going to auctioneering school. I had a gallery in Toronto from 2014-16 — I wanted to try my hand at international living one more time. I did a show there that featured Doug Sneyd, the legendary Playboy cartoonist.
I always thought I would set up my life and gallery in France, but I’m glad it didn’t happen. I’ll be opening my gallery with an exhibition of works by Steve West, who was Basquiat’s studio assistant. All the things I love about New York are right here in the Berkshires. There are a lot of visual artists and antique dealers — I’m getting all of my creative outlets plugged in, and having a really good time.
