What led you to the ARAD program?

I was a very creative kid and thought I wanted to be an artist, so I went to art school in Boston. To my surprise, I enjoyed promoting my classmates’ work more than my own. I loved talking about their art, fundraising, and putting exhibitions together for them. It made me wonder if I might belong on the business side.

After graduation, I joined Christie’s in London in the Chinese Works of Art department while the auction market was growing exponentially. I learned an enormous amount on the job, but I knew I needed more training, more context, and a deeper understanding of the art world.

ARAD stood out for its well-rounded curriculum. Although I came from the visual arts, my first love was musical theater and classical music, and I’d always felt the line between art forms was blurry. With access to the business school, the arts school, and departments across Columbia, ARAD was the right place to explore and learn from everyone.

(Alexis speaking on a panel, photo by Shina Peng)

What experiences during the ARAD program have helped shape your career path?

Ten years later, what stands out most is my classmates. I expected everyone to come from a gallery background, but there were educators, dancers, classical musicians, fundraisers, and theater producers, and I learned so much from each of them.

The class that shaped my career most was Museum Education, which I took only to fulfill a requirement. Professors like Olga Hubard taught me to talk about art in language people from all walks of life can understand. As an art advisor, I use that skill every day, since what seems like common knowledge to one collector may be completely new to another. That class also led me to become a docent at the Whitney Museum, which further prepared me for my role at Uprise Art.

What was your journey like after the ARAD program, and how did you get to your current role?

Toward the end of ARAD, I became fascinated by arts planning and policy at the city level and reached out to the team at Art Basel Cities, which had just launched. Within weeks, I was flying to Buenos Aires for my first project, meeting city leaders and working with curator Cecilia Alemani and renowned artists like Barbara Kruger.

A few years later, I started my own advisory practice, The Art Diplomat, helping clients and organizations collect works by emerging artists while doing freelance research and writing. Running my own business showed me how well ARAD had prepared me to lead.

When the pandemic stopped international travel and in-person meetings, I wanted to be part of a team again while keeping my entrepreneurial spirit. That brought me to Uprise Art, a New York gallery and advisory that connects collectors, businesses, and institutions with contemporary art by emerging artists. I started as an Art Advisor and, over five years, grew into my current role as Art Advisor, Director of Trade Relations. I lead our Trade Program, partnering with more than 5,000 architects, interior designers, and art consultants to place original artwork in residential, hospitality, and commercial projects.

Along the way, I spearheaded Uprise Art’s first exhibition and art fair in Asia, bringing three of our artists to Art Central Hong Kong in my hometown. I collaborated with TAO Group to curate original paintings by Misato Suzuki and Elisa Gomez for LAVO Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, and I worked with Ford Motor Company’s Global Art Advisors, Farmboy, to bring Dan Covert’s sculpture Arcane to the Ford Engineering Lab in Michigan. My years as an independent advisor taught me what our trade partners need. I know firsthand what it takes to deliver a project, so I help them fulfill theirs and look great to their clients.

(Alexis advising at Uprise Art, photo by Shina Peng)

What are some of the challenges you face in your current role?

My biggest challenge is keeping up with how quickly collector behavior is changing. After the pandemic, everyone was craving in-person experiences. I organized and spoke on our “Defining Value” panel for NYCxDESIGN, led our Brooklyn Studio Walk in Bushwick, and organized Collectors Night at our Tribeca gallery. Collectors also came back with a new eye for texture and tactile work after so much time looking at art on screens.

AI is also changing how collectors look at artwork, and contrary to what many might think, it has actually made original artwork feel more valuable. Surrounded by so many digital images, collectors are delighted by work made by hand. Every day at Uprise Art, we look for ways to show them how special it is to own original artwork by a living artist. It’s part of what makes working in the arts so exciting right now.

(Alexis at Uprise Art’s Tribeca gallery, photo by Shina Peng)

What is one piece of advice you particularly want to give to current ARAD students?

Get to know your classmates really well. Ten years after graduating, I’m convinced they’re the most valuable network of your career. You may be in completely different fields and grow at different paces, but you’ll grow together. I’ve watched my class help each other with introductions to jobs, clients, donors, and vendors, and with advice through difficult moments. The arts are a much smaller world than you think, especially in New York.

Make the most of the city together. Set a regular date to see exhibitions, shows, and talks, and lean on each other’s expertise. I asked my ballet friends which performances to see and recommended exhibitions in return. We recently had our ten-year reunion on Zoom and chatted for two hours, with one classmate logging in at 1 a.m. from Asia. It’s amazing to have this group of classmates to walk through life with.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love going to museums and seeking out art outside my field. I also travel the world to see art, often with ARAD classmates as my guides. Our class is so international that I’ve visited friends in Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, San Francisco, Seoul, and Shanghai. When one of us visits, the others host and take us out to see art in their city. There’s nothing I love more than a personal tour from an ARAD classmate.