Claire Oliver Gallery — Attraction in New York

It’s really tough to give a gallery a lousy review as I am an avid gallery hopper and love that it’s an amazing forum for artists to represent and sell their work.

On the plus side, this gallery has a really wonderful selection of art. You can tell someone has a great eye.

The downside, it is not friendly. I know that there are covid procedures but every gallery I’ve visited since galleries reopened has found a way to do so safely and with reasonable friendliness (Pace, Kasmin, Zwirner, Shainman...). Everything in this gallery requires a QR code and it’s not laid out for intuitive access. No number displayed, no artist name displayed, no physical access to information on the pieces, someone watched us from the door for awhile before reluctantly inviting us in (no appointments were available). Listen, you chose to open in Harlem, this is a friendly neighborhood where people know each other and chat. Also, it’s weird to ask a neighbor where you are...

I was greeted by a rude woman who said she owned the gallery. I inquired about bringing my daughter & some friends for a viewing for her 13th birthday. I was told NO even if 2 or 3 kids come in at a time and the rest wait outside. I felt discriminated and mistreated by this woman. She does not belong in Harlem. Do not support this gallery they are not interested in the community and its children. Exposure is everything!!! Why have this in Harlem and our children are not welcomed. I did not expect to be treated this...

As a MS Art Teacher in Nashville, TN, I called with a Sixth Grade Student present. We are studying Bisa Butler as part of our Black History Month, and we fell in love with her work. We wanted to ask a question, but the person who answered the phone for this gallery was NY RUDE!! "We're in the middle of an installation! Can you just get to your point!" Apparently money talks and teaching young people to...