Christine Berry and Martha Campbell. Photography by Blaine Davis, courtesy of Berry Campbell.
Armed with art history degrees, no small dose of resolve, and each other, Christine Berry and Martha Campbell are ensuring artists like Judith Godwin, Ethel Schwabacher, and Perle Fine get the legacy they deserve.
Ethel Schwabacher, Judith Godwin, Bernice Bing, Lynne Drexler—gallerists Christine Berry and Martha Campbell have spent the last 13 years scouring attics and archives, interviewing relatives, and reassembling the narratives of these artists’ careers. Some, like 13-time Whitney Biennial participant Schwabacher, were once widely celebrated. Others, like Drexler, were elusive during their lifetime but have broken auction records in 2025.
Berry and Campbell’s approach is simple: work with their estate to present their work holistically, not just the slice that made it into the art history books or group exhibitions. The focus on female artists was unintentional—thanks to the challenges that many female artists faced in the 20th century (and today), there’s a font of unsung creativity just waiting to be contextualized. (Berry Campbell also represents a cross-section of lesser-known contemporary voices like Beverly McIver and Nanette Carter.)
The dealer duo concocted the plan for Berry Campbell when they were still working under Ira Spanierman, of the eponymous gallery, who empowered them to trust their taste and ability to create a market armed with facts, access, and no small dose of resolve. Since striking out on their own in 2013, the art world has slowly—then surely as the 2020s approached—caught up. (The record-breaking sale of Drexler’s Unicorn at Christie’s just a few weeks ago proves the niche the pair have carved out has staying power, even in a shakier market climate.)
— Ella Martin-Gachot, Cultured
December 2, 2025