This milestone follows a year of remarkable momentum. Southern Guild has made debut appearances at Frieze Los Angeles, Frieze New York, and Frieze London, while also presenting strong booths at FOG, Expo Chicago, The Armory Show, and Aspen Art Fair. Together, these fairs have amplified the gallery’s global presence, introduced new collectors and communities to its program, and strengthened the network of artists and collaborators who shape its vision.

According to Southern Guild Co-Founder Trevyn McGowan, the gallery’s expansion is about more than geography. “We see Southern Guild not only as a gallery, but as a cultural anchor in a global ecosystem - a platform where artists pass on knowledge systems, sustain their practices on their own terms, and join together to articulate a movement,” she says. “The new Tribeca space is a physical affirmation of that mission, reinforcing that what we build must be reciprocal, respectful, and rooted in the long game.”

LA-based Director Andréa Delph, who will move to New York City to lead the Tribeca gallery, reflects on the journey that brought Southern Guild to this point. “California gave us the space to listen, to gather, and to understand how Southern Guild’s South African foundation could meaningfully enter the American cultural environment. In LA, we became a conduit for continental and diasporic voices, opening deeper conversations around African and African-American modernity,” she says. “I’m excited to return to the city that raised me and to bring this work forward in New York, where the community we cultivated in LA can evolve in a new context.”

Southern Guild currently represents more than 30 international artists whose practices combine conceptual rigour, experimentation, and deeply-rooted cultural perspectives. In recent years, works by these artists have entered major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, LACMA, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, Princeton University Art Museum, Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. These acquisitions affirm both the strength of the gallery's program and the resonance of its artists’ practices within institutional contexts.

The opening of the Tribeca gallery also marks a new chapter for Southern Guild’s presence in the United States. After a fruitful period in Los Angeles – where the gallery opened its first U.S. location in February 2024 – Southern Guild will relocate from its LA space in January 2026 following Driftwork, an exhibition curated by Essence Harden. While the physical space will shift, the gallery remains committed to the relationships forged on the West Coast and will continue fostering those communities.

Founded in 2008 by Trevyn and Julian McGowan, Southern Guild has built its identity around artist-driven collaboration, material inquiry, and boundary-pushing creative practice. The gallery has long served as a space where artists refine ideas, share knowledge, and challenge established forms. With the opening of its Tribeca location, Southern Guild extends this ethos into a new chapter: one that broadens its global presence while remaining firmly grounded in the values that define its program.

A vibrant schedule of talks, panel discussions, artist walkabouts, and community gatherings will continue in New York, reflecting the gallery’s commitment to cross-disciplinary dialogue and intergenerational exchange.

Please direct any press queries to Amanda Deveaux at Scott and Co.
[email protected]