Kenise Barnes Fine Art

What Kenise Barnes Fine Art does

Kenise Barnes Fine Art is a privately held contemporary art gallery and art consulting firm founded in 1994 by Kenise Barnes, a former Specialist in Charge of Contemporary Art at Christie's East, NYC. The gallery is headquartered at 7 Fulling Lane in the Kent Barns complex in Kent, Connecticut, where it operates from two barns in the Litchfield Hills region; it previously maintained a gallery in Larchmont, NY that was closed in Spring 2021. The gallery represents more than 50 emerging and mid-career artists and runs thoughtfully curated solo and group exhibitions that rotate approximately every six weeks.

The company's offering spans three revenue streams: retail art sales of paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture from represented artists (with disclosed individual artwork prices ranging from roughly $1,800 to $8,500), art consulting services for burgeoning to seasoned collectors, and site-specific corporate, public, and healthcare art projects. The gallery maintains a large on-site warehouse as a secondary inventory channel and extends its reach through KBFA.com, 1stDibs.com, and participation in art fairs. Core technology is the Artlogic gallery management and curation platform; there are no proprietary AI or ML systems disclosed.

Go-to-market is hybrid and direct-to-collector, combining walk-in retail at the Kent gallery, by-appointment consultations, corporate and institutional project work (placements include NYU Langone, Montefiore, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the New York Palace Hotel), and channel partnerships with interior designers, architects, and art advisors. Marketing is driven by social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), an email newsletter, gallery events, artist talks, and earned media in outlets such as The New York Times and Hyperallergic. The firm is founder-owned and operated with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding.

Name

Kenise Barnes Fine Art

Legal name

Kenise Barnes Fine Art

Website

https://kbfa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kenise Barnes Fine Art is a privately held contemporary art gallery and consulting firm founded in 1994, representing 50+ emerging and mid-career artists from its Kent, CT location, serving individual collectors, interior designers, and corporate and healthcare institutions through exhibitions, online sales, and site-specific commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Gallery

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchandising & D2C Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Contemporary art gallery
• Fine art consulting
• Emerging artist representation
• Art collecting advisory
• Exhibition curation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kent

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Art Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling contemporary artwork including paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture from their roster of over 50 represented artists. Sales occur through the physical gallery in Kent, CT and online platforms including KBFA.com and 1stDibs.com.
2. Art Consulting Services: The gallery provides professional art consulting services, sourcing work from their network of artist studios, galleries, and auction houses. Services include developing site-specific, public and corporate projects, and providing collecting advice for collectors ranging from burgeoning to seasoned.
3. Warehouse/Inventory Sales: The gallery maintains a large inventory of quality artwork in their on-site warehouse, providing a secondary sales channel for collectors seeking works outside of current exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kenise Barnes Fine Art operates a contemporary art gallery in Kent, CT representing more than 50 emerging and mid-career artists through rotating solo and group exhibitions that change approximately every six weeks. The gallery sells paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture through its physical location, its own website (KBFA.com), and 1stDibs.com. In parallel, the firm provides professional art consulting and collecting advice, sourcing work from a broad network of artist studios, galleries, and auction houses for individual collectors, interior designers, and corporate or public art projects.

Product overview

Kenise Barnes Fine Art operates as a dual-platform art gallery and consulting firm. The core offering consists of gallery exhibition services featuring rotating exhibitions of over 50 represented emerging and mid-career artists across paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture, with exhibitions changing approximately every six weeks. This is complemented by professional art consulting services for collectors, architects, interior designers, and homeowners, providing collecting advice and sourcing artwork from studios, galleries, and auction houses. Additional services include site-specific corporate and public art projects, including installations for healthcare facilities and corporate offices. The gallery maintains an online presence through KBFA.com and 1stDibs.com for digital sales and broader market reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gallery Exhibition Services Rotating gallery exhibitions featuring more than 50 emerging and mid-career contemporary artists across paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture, changing approximately every six weeks for individual collectors and walk-in visitors.
• Art Consulting Services Professional art advisory and sourcing service that helps collectors, architects, interior designers, and homeowners build collections by tapping a network of artist studios, partner galleries, and auction houses.
• Artist Representation Ongoing gallery representation, exhibition opportunities, and sales support for more than 50 emerging and mid-career contemporary artists working in paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture.
• Corporate and Public Art Projects Site-specific artwork installations developed for corporate offices, healthcare facilities (e.g., NYU Langone, Montefiore, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Barnes-Jewish Hospital), hotels, and other public spaces.
• KBFA.com Online Gallery Gallery's own e-commerce website for browsing and purchasing contemporary artwork, viewing exhibitions, and learning about represented artists.
• 1stDibs Online Listings Online marketplace storefront on 1stDibs.com that lists and sells works from the gallery's represented artists to a broader collector audience.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Victoria Kirk InteriorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInterior design collaboration for room designs featuring artwork from the gallery's represented artists. Examples include works by Mary Judge, Christian Nguyen, Bastienne Schmidt, and others featured in interior design projects.
• Carol Flanagan DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInterior design collaboration featuring artwork by Mary Judge in residential design projects.
• Art Advisory Service (Vail, CO)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArt advisory service that placed David Collins' painting at New York Palace Hotel. Represents gallery work to out-of-market collectors and institutions.
• Arch Design Services (St. Louis, MO)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesign services firm that placed Mary Judge artwork at Barnes-Jewish Hospital North Tower in St. Louis, MO.
• AMCS Curatorial Services, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCuratorial services that curated artwork by Jackie Battenfield and Waddy Armstrong for Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.
• Peridot Fine JewelryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFine jewelry retailer in Larchmont, NY featuring collaborative artwork display by Margaret Lanzetta and Waddy Armstrong.
• Alice Gauvin Gallery (Portland, ME)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Us & ME pop-up exhibition August-September 2023, extending gallery reach to Portland, Maine market.
• Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation that featured 'Closer to the Sun' exhibition opening at Kenise Barnes Fine Art in May 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Zolla/Lieberman Gallery: Zolla/Lieberman Gallery represents contemporary artists and sells paintings, works on paper, photography, and sculpture through exhibitions and online channels. Its gallery-led model and artist roster are closely aligned with KBFA.
• DC Moore Gallery: DC Moore Gallery represents contemporary artists and develops curated physical and online exhibitions. It is comparable to KBFA in artist representation, mid-market contemporary positioning, and collector-facing sales.
• Winston Wächter Fine Art: Winston Wächter Fine Art operates contemporary gallery locations and an online store focused on represented and secondary-market artists. It compares through its curated exhibitions, online purchasing, and target market of contemporary art collectors.
• Alexander Berggruen: Alexander Berggruen is a contemporary art gallery representing a mix of emerging and established artists through physical and online sales. Its model closely matches KBFA's combination of artist representation, curated exhibitions, and direct collector access.
• Forum Gallery: Forum Gallery is an established contemporary art gallery with a program spanning paintings, works on paper, photography, and sculpture. Its artist representation and exhibition-led sales model closely resemble KBFA's core activities.
• Catherine Clark Gallery: Catherine Clark Gallery presents contemporary artists, particularly emerging and mid-career practices, through changing exhibitions and online sales. This makes it a relevant direct peer to KBFA's emerging and mid-career artist focus.

Broad incumbents

• Pace Gallery: Pace Gallery represents a global roster of contemporary artists and sells through an international network of locations and online channels. Its artist representation and exhibition model are comparable, though its scale and geographic breadth are much larger.
• David Zwirner: David Zwirner is a global contemporary art gallery representing a large international roster of artists. It is a broader incumbent comparable through artist representation, curated exhibitions, online discovery, and collector sales.
• Hauser & Wirth: Hauser & Wirth is a global gallery and art platform with contemporary and modern artists, multiple locations, and digital content and commerce. It overlaps with KBFA in gallery representation and collector access but operates at substantially greater scale.
• Gagosian: Gagosian is a global fine-art gallery with broad contemporary representation, exhibitions, and collector advisory capabilities. It serves as a broad incumbent peer for KBFA's art dealing and gallery business, despite its much larger footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kenisebarnesfineart
• Instagraminstagram.com/kenisebarnesfineart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenise-barnes-fine-art

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kenise Barnes Fine Art