Armory Show Director Nicole Berry Reaches for Hammer

Nicole Berry, who for eight years has served as executive director of the Armory Show in New York, will leave her post this month to accept a new role at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Berry will join the West Coast institution as senior director for donor engagement.

Newsof Berry’s departure was revealed this morning in an email to exhibitors from Kristell Chadé, executive director of fairs for Frieze, which owns the event. “We are grateful for Nicole’s contribution to The Armory Show over the last eight years and wish her all the best in her new role,” wrote Chadé. “We thank her for all her hard work, which leaves us in good shape for the upcoming 2024 edition of the fair.” Chadé confirmed that a search for Berry’s replacement is underway and noted that the 2024 Armory Show will be overseen by herself and Christine Messineo, Frieze’s director of Americas.

Berry arrived to the Armory Show as deputy director in 2016, rising to become executive director the following year. During her tenure there, she led the show’s move from the West Side Piers, where it had long been held, to the Javits Center and shepherded it through the pandemic. She exits the prestigious New York event just eight months after it was acquired by Frieze, one of the world’s top art fair companies. Following the purchase, the Armory Show had been set to continue operating under its extant brand and to retain its team. Still, many wondered how the formerly independent exhibition would fare under Frieze, itself a subsidiary of sports, fashion, events, and media conglomerate IMG, whose parent company is global sport and entertainment megalith Endeavor.

“Since becoming executive director of the Armory Show, it has been my mission to improve the fair with each edition,” Berry said in a statement. “I am deeply proud of the accomplishments of our team and am grateful for the opportunities I have been provided. I wish the remarkable team and the extended Frieze network the best for this important milestone year and in the future.”