WOMEN IN THE ARTS: Megan Mulrooney, a rising voice of the LA art scene

Women in the art world are inspiring, driven and hardworking leaders. Megan, an Angeleno and former director at Nino Mier gallery, is the perfect example of an ongoing success story at the top of the art world. Hired as a senior director in 2018 by Nino Mier, she left the gallery in May 2024 at a time when a controversial story subsequently led to the closing of the gallery’s multiple LA locations. Finding the opportunity to take over those same spaces she once worked at, Megan took over the three spaces on Santa Monica boulevard to open her eponymous gallery, Megan Mulrooney.

Megan, it’s a pleasure to reconnect. Congratulations on the opening of your gallery, how exciting! Los Angeles is lucky to have you. First and foremost, it’s impossible to chat without mentioning the recent wildfires that ravaged LA. Since last Tuesday, more than 180,000 of the city’s residents have been put under evacuation orders. Many homes have literally turned to ash. This is by far one of the worst natural disasters we have witnessed this century, and dozens of artists have been directly affected as they lost their homes and studio spaces. An entire community is affected by this tragedy. How does it feel to be in LA right now?

As the world witnessed during the past two weeks, Los Angeles has been devastated by the largest wildfires in the history of the city and tragically the fires continue to burn. While unfortunately the hardships faced by displaced community members will continue long after the fires have ended, it has been heartwarming and uplifting to see how those in the arts have banded together to donate and fundraise for artists, galleries and cultural workers who have suffered the loss of their home, studios and belongings.

Are there any trusted charities or organization that you’d like to share with us and with our readers?

If you would like to contribute to the rebuilding and restoration of the arts community here in Los Angeles Grief and Hope is a campaign whose goal is to fundraise $500,000 to be distributed to artists and art workers who have lost their home and / or studio as a result of the Eaton, Palisades, Sunset, and other fires in the Los Angeles area. You can find more information here. While this is a broad way to support, another method is to identify the artists who have lost their homes or are displaced as a result of the fires and collect or acquire their work.

Thank you for sharing this with us. We encourage every one of our readers to support the affected artists in the best way they can, even a few dollars add up and help them rebuild. We are happy to hear the galleries are reopening now, it feels like the positive energy needs to be spread again throughout the city. Now, tell us a little more about you. How did you first enter the art world and how has your journey been so far?

After graduating from NYU, I moved to London to work at Sotheby’s in Mayfair where I started as a floating assistant, before I joined the auction house’s Impressionist & Modern department. After Sotheby’s, my mentor Patrick Van der Vorst, who had opened his private valuation company called St. George Valuations, asked me to join and develop the business under his stewardship. After a few years, I returned to Los Angeles where I worked at several auction houses before deciding to move on to work directly with artists. Before making the change from auction house to gallery, I sat down with collector and founder of Felix Art Fair, Dean Valentine, at Mel’s Diner on Sunset to seek his counsel and discuss which up-and coming-gallery in LA most aligned with my interest in emerging artists. Dean still remains a friend to this day and I’m excited that my gallery will have its inaugural presentation at his fair this February.

With the 3 spaces of the gallery, you are able to play around with curation in many interesting ways. The gallery focuses on an intergenerational curation with each space speaking to each other and some outside curators joining forces with you. You’re also committed to bringing together some more established artists with new voices in the art world. Can you tell us more about your perspective on the dialogue you are looking to create?

I am lucky to have a gallery in the heart of West Hollywood. Situated at the beginning of a cul-de-sac, the gallery is divided into three dynamic spaces that allow for multiple exhibitions at once. Given the nature of the spaces, we are able to create a dialogue among different artists so that each individual exhibition can curatorially align with the other while existing in its own space. The ability to create a conversation between the artists’ exhibitions was something that felt important given my background of working so closely with great mid-career artists as well as more emerging and younger voices. I find it so interesting how artists can work in the same mediums or have similar compositional constructs but be generations apart – and thus I wanted to foster those conversations and make them visible to the public. My greatest friendships have been intergenerational and I find there is so much to learn from our similarities and differences. It’s this same concept that I hope to apply by showing artists across generations.

Born and raised in LA, you’re a true Angeleno. Is your gallery focusing on the LA art scene? Can you also talk a little bit about your take on the community aspect and how you are trying to create a strong community through the gallery and its programming.

In recent years, the city has seen an influx of out-of-state galleries opening their second spaces in Los Angeles with a focus on bringing artists from outside of California to exhibit. However, these large galleries focus on bringing their existing program to LA and thus there is still a need for LA galleries to show local, LA-based artists. When starting the gallery I received great advice from artist Jon Pylypchuk and gallerist David Kordansky who both recommended I focus on creating a community by showing Los Angeles artists. I’ve been thinking a lot about how the physical space of the gallery should foster community by encouraging people to gather and discuss art, culture, ideas and politics. I have been programming the forthcoming year with this principle in mind bringing together an artist like Drake Carr who will do live portraiture of influential Angelenos during his “Sit-Ins” series contrasted with LA-based Nick Taggart’s 1970s portraits of models, musicians, and actors as well as famous places from the Sunset Strip to Echo Park.

Which galleries have inspired you throughout your career?

When I think of Los Angeles galleries the names that always come to mind are Ferus Gallery, China Art Objects, Black Dragon Society, Suzanne Vielmetter, Regen Projects, Blum & Poe, and David Kordansky. I am also so inspired by the many transient gallery spaces within LA and I have been in awe of their innovative approach to showing art.

Do you also collect? As a collector, what was the first and last artwork you’ve acquired? How do you typically select the artists you add to your personal art collection and to the gallery programming?

I do collect! The first artwork I ever bought was a pastiche of Francisco Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son” at the gift shop of his birthplace in Fuendetodos. It remains my most favorite work of art in my collection and would even travel around with me – at one point I had it in the glovebox of my car!! – sounds pretty dark right?. Then in my twenties I began collecting more seriously – moved out of the gift shop and into the gallery so to speak and began seeking advice from artists who were friends, other collectors and advisors. I have an instinctual sense about the works I buy – I usually know immediately what I want and I don’t question it – even though the why is not always clear. I recently acquired a small painting by Mia Middleton from Roberts Projects which I’m excited to hang on my salon wall. There is always something sinister afoot in Mia’s works and this one is no exception, in it her subject holds a red apple. The apple is the focus of the painting and for me symbolizes fertility and desire. However, how I program the gallery is more purposeful than my personal collection. It takes into account the artists that I have had the opportunity to work with over my years as a Director and new emerging voices that I am exposed to now.

How was your first Nada experience and what other fairs will you be participating in this year?

I am a huge fan of NADA – I love that they represent an association of galleries that fosters the idea of community at its center bringing together gallerists, artists and collectors from around the globe. It was great to be presenting work under my own name at the fair for the first time, and for our inaugural presentation, I asked three generations of female artists to respond to the themes of “coming-of-age”. It felt very apropos for my first fair! This year we also plan to exhibit at Felix Art Fair in LA during Frieze Week, Expo Chicago, Aspen Art Fair and the inaugural edition of Untitled Houston.

Many congrats! A lot going on for you in 2025!

Yes, I am so excited for our January exhibitions which include solo exhibitions by Vienna-based Philip Mueller and Paris-based Flora Temnouche, and a group exhibition curated by Los Angeles based artist Mindy Shapero. Mindy and I have worked together for many years and I am in awe of her incredible studio practice all while raising her two children. Mindy’s exhibition will be the third artist curated project that the gallery has held and it feels extra special given that Mindy is organizing the exhibition around her MICA professor Ken Tisa. Ken has influenced hundreds of working artists and it feels lovely that Mindy is honoring his legacy through an exhibition that brings together those that he has inspired throughout his career.

At newcube, we work with young collectors who look up to more seasoned collectors and we are always on the lookout for new artists. What advice would you give a collector who’s just starting?

I’d say, see as much art in person as possible. My advice to any young collector is to choose a couple of different galleries who represent artists that are of interest. Follow their programs, learn from their directors and start to acquire works by the artists that they represent. By aligning yourself with a few galleries you can begin to foster a relationship with them and their artists, as well as get to know other collectors who support the gallery who can then expose you to new artists.

We couldn’t agree more. There is something about building your own community within the collector, gallery and artist communities while supporting each other. Since you work closely with many artists, some emerging, others more mid-career or established, you know how challenging it can be for an artist to stand out and succeed. What would the top 3 advice you would give to up and coming artists today?

That’s a great question. Most importantly, 1. be in the studio and create; 2. visit the galleries you are interested in showing at. Become part of their ecosystem! The more you are seen by them the more apt they are to think of you when programming for their next exhibitions. 3. find a gallerist who can be your partner throughout your career. I always admire artists who have life-long friendships and lasting relationships with their gallerists. Lastly, 4. I’ve heard a lot of artists discuss how social media can be distracting to their practice and in this vein I think it’s important as an artist to not be influenced by it, but rather to utilize social media as a marketing tool for their own work.

Would you have any advice to share with someone looking to open their own art gallery?

Ensure you have a strong community of artists, collectors, writers, curators, and other gallerists who support you and your vision. I am lucky enough to be friends with other peers of mine who are starting their own galleries at the same time, and it seems special that we are all supporting each other.

Opening my own gallery is like having a second child – I like to say it’s my biggest achievement since having my son.

Well, I wish you and both your babies the very best for many many years to come. I’m very excited to see the gallery grow, and to come see you at Felix!