As The Armory Show prepares to hold its 30th anniversary edition in two months (6-8 September), the fair has brought on veteran gallery leader Kyla McMillan to be its new director. Her first day on the job was Monday (8 July).
“My goal is to empower collectors and emphasise the fair’s role as a platform for artists, galleries and art enthusiasts,” McMillan said in a statement. “The Armory Show has long been celebrated as a foundational fair for New York and the US art market. I look forward to building on The Armory Show’s achievements, while also championing new voices and creating opportunities for diverse perspectives in contemporary art.”
McMillan previously served as a director at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise (2016-20) and David Zwirner (2020-21). In 2021 she founded the globetrotting consultancy and gallery Saint George Projects, which has organised projects in New York, Miami, Johannesburg, Berlin, Los Angeles and elsewhere. She previously held positions at the gallery Alexander Gray Associates and the public relations firm Resnicow and Associates, and served as an intern in the office of the director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. She holds an art history degree from the University of Maryland, where she minored in journalism.
McMillan is The Armory Show’s first new director since it was acquired by the London-based fair and media company Frieze last summer. She succeeds Nicole Berry, the fair’s executive director from 2017 until earlier this year, when she left for a development role at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. In her new role, McMillan will oversee every facet of the fair’s operations, from relations with dealers and collectors to partnerships and overall vision.
“Her wide-ranging experience and creative drive will undoubtedly take the fair to new heights, fostering an inclusive and dynamic environment,” Kristell Chadé, Frieze’s executive director for fairs, said in a statement. “Her past projects have demonstrated a talent for reaching new audiences and forging meaningful connections with art.”
The upcoming edition of The Armory Show will be one of its largest to date, with 235 exhibitors spread throughout the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan.
