Christiana Ine-Kimba Boyle has left her post as senior director at Pace Gallery to return to Canada gallery, the New York space where she once held that same title. At Canada, Boyle will now be partner and co-owner.
The move is an unusual one, as it is rare for high-ranking figures at a mega-gallery like Pace to leave for a smaller operation. Moreover, in the past year, Pace has lost three other senior members of its staff, including its executive vice president of global sales and operations.
Three weeks ago, Boyle announced her departure on Instagram, calling her time at Pace “one of the most transformative periods of my career.” She added, “I was taught to always leave things better than found, and I can confidently say I did just that.”
At the time, she did not reveal where she was headed, but on Friday, Canada announced her return. She was formerly a senior director at that gallery, which is known for its roster of acclaimed painters, including Katherine Bernhardt, Katherine Bradford, Joan Snyder, and Rachel Eulena Williams.
Among her first projects upon her return will be shows at Canada for Denzil Hurley and Reginald Sylvester, both opening this January. Those exhibitions kick off the gallery’s 25th-anniversary slate of shows.
Having curated shows such as 2019’s “Black Femme: Sovereign of WAP and the Virtual Realm” at Canada, Boyle was initially hired at Pace in 2021 as online sales director. The appointment received an unusual amount of press because she was just 28 at the time—a relatively young age for someone in a high-ranking role—and because of her focus on NFTs, the market for which was on the fast ascent back then. In 2023, Frieze highlighted her as one of the Black female gallerists reshaping New York’s art scene.
But since her initial hire at Pace, the NFT market has significantly declined, according to various reports, with a much-publicized one from 2023 stating that the vast majority of NFTs were “dead.” Canada’s announcement of Boyle’s re-hire notably did not mention NFTs.
“As a young black woman gallerist in this leadership position, I am committed to doing what CANADA does best: amplifying all voices that have long been overlooked,” Boyle said in a statement. “CANADA has always been about championing bold, groundbreaking artists, and I’m committed to pushing the envelope even further. Together, we’ll continue to carve out space for new perspectives, challenge the status quo, and elevate underrepresented voices within the global art market. The best is yet to come.”
Phil Grauer, cofounder of Canada, said in a statement, “Christiana brought tremendous energy to her role and her skill and passion have been missed during her time away. We look forward to the new ideas Christiana will bring to CANADA while at the same time benefiting from the deep commitment, she has already demonstrated to the gallery artists and culture.”