San Francisco Gallerist Accused of Exploiting Artists He Promoted

San Francisco gallerist Jonathan Carver Moore, who presented himself as a champion for underrepresented artists, is facing accusations from nine artists who claim he failed to pay them for sold work and has not returned their pieces. The allegations threaten the standing of Moore, founder of the Jonathan Carver Moore gallery, within the art world.

Seven of the artists have co-authored a letter demanding Moore return their artwork or provide payment. The letter, as reported by the San Francisco Standard, states that the treatment is "a serious breach of the trust we placed in you" by a gallery whose stated mission is to amplify the voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women artists.

Demond Melancon, one of the accusers, told the Standard that he entrusted Moore with 10 ritual masks valued at $70,500 for exhibition at the Expo Chicago art fair. Melancon, who is Black, said he agreed to this arrangement partly because he trusted Moore as one of the few other Black gallerists in the country. Melancon claims he has not received payment for his work, despite repeated attempts to contact Moore.

Kevin Poorman, a collector, told the Standard that he paid Moore $8,800 for one of Melancon's masks but has been unable to retrieve the piece. Poorman stated that Moore had requested to delay delivery for a museum exhibition that was later canceled. Poorman added that his attempts to contact Moore have been unsuccessful, and a demand letter he sent was returned.

Other artists, including Adana Tillman and Chantal Hildebrand, have also come forward with similar claims of non-payment and lack of communication from Moore. Hildebrand stated that she provided Moore with six works over the past year, including a piece valued at $9,000 for the San Francisco Art Fair. She later learned from a collector that one of her pieces had been discounted without her consent, and a buyer who placed a deposit never received the artwork.

Cydne Jasmin Coleby claims she is owed $7,000 for a piece and has no knowledge of its current whereabouts, with her gallery reporting the artwork as stolen. April Bey also publicly demanded payment from Moore, although she later removed her statement after Moore eventually returned one of her pieces and paid her for the rest of her $68,000 worth of artwork.

Moore, who previously worked in nonprofits focused on areas such as racial and economic justice, founded his gallery in 2023. He described the space as coming "out of a place of love" and stated he cashed out his 401k to create a venue for underrepresented artists. He acknowledged that running a gallery involves financial challenges and delays in payments from collectors, which can impact his ability to pay artists and cover operational costs.

"I care so much about the arts community and will continue to learn the business and make things right," Moore said in a statement to the Standard. He also stated that some of the allegations are inaccurate and that he intends to resolve the issues with the artists.

Since the allegations surfaced, the gallery's webpage has been removed, and messages to Moore's email address are undeliverable. The Standard had previously described Moore as a "groundbreaking gallerist" who brought "a gust of fresh air to the downtown art scene," while publications like Artsy and Observer have highlighted his work with emerging and often overlooked artists.