The Tamesis
Roland Augustine, co-founder of Luhring Augustine, one of New York’s longest-running galleries, is stepping down to focus on philanthropy, marking the end of an era. Co-founder Lawrence Luhring will continue to lead the gallery, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, along with long-time directors Lauren Wittels and Donald Johnson Montenegro.
Augustine is a trustee of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he is active in the Bard Prison Initiative, the Bard Berlin International Education and Social Change Program, and the Center for Curatorial Research, the school’s industry-leading exhibition and research center.
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“I’m retiring from the gallery, but I’m not retiring,” Augustine told art news recent. “Lourin Augustin has a great program and I’m very proud of it. Nothing would make me happier than to have its success continue, and I will do my best to do that. I leave on very good terms and with a huge sense of gratitude.”
Lu Lin told art news Late last year he bought out Augustine’s share in the gallery. He added that by 2026, the gallery will undergo a restructuring that will convert Vittles and Johnson Montenegro from limited partners to equity partners.
Under the agreement with Augustine, the gallery’s name can be retained for three years; Lulin said he expected a name change sooner, but did not specify when. He described Augustine’s departure as “bittersweet”, adding that he was “really excited” [to continue the gallery with] Donald and Lauren. They are super passionate people and they bring really great artists to the gallery. “
Vittles began working at the gallery in 1989, when she was its only full-time employee until 1995. She subsequently left to start her own gallery, returning in 2011 and being appointed partner in 2019. Johnson Montenegro joined the gallery in 2012.
“Roland plays an important role in the gallery, with a strong focus on artists and long-term relationships – ongoing relationships with curators and collectors,” Vittles said. “I’m very proud to have such a long-standing foothold in this and it will be a focus for the gallery as it continues to grow, especially at such a difficult time for business when a lot of people who got into it for flashy reasons are getting out.”
“Roland was very much a mentor to me,” Johnson-Montenegro said. “He will remain a close friend of the gallery and collaborate with some artists with whom he is particularly close. This is something we have really discussed and we feel will be exciting for everyone involved.”
Luhring and Augustine opened Luhring Augustine on 57th Street in 1985 and became famous for artists such as Janine Antoni, Pipilotti Rist and Christopher Wool. Augustine also served as president of the American Art Dealers Association (ADAA).
The gallery evolved with the changes in the art market and New York real estate, from downtown to SoHo and then to Chelsea and Bushwick. The company currently has office space in Chelsea and Tribeca. Unlike some of its peers, the gallery has not expanded to multiple locations around the world (except for a brief space in Los Angeles in the late 1980s in collaboration with Germany’s Max Hetzler Gallery), and its roster has remained around 25 artists.
“I believe there is still room for this very personal, boutique approach to art,” Lulin said. “And I think some artists still like it.”
