There seemed to be among the many people I spoke to about it a very loose consensus that a gallerist is a person with closer ties to artists than a dealer. It is certainly a prevalent opinion among those who call themselves gallerists and one can hope this is the direction its meaning will take. But there are many dealers too, and certainly curators, who maintain close relationships with artists. The issue can only be settled if a clear definition of a gallerist surfaces. Until then my concern remains that of all the titles available to those who perform the duties of curator, dealer, director and independent curator, a gallerist is the most vague and as such becomes the most likely to be associated with a type of exhibition organizer that appropriates the creative role of the artist.

He seems to contrast a gallerist with a mere dealer or sales agent. The ‘gallerist’ collaborates with an artist on themed shows (or is part curator) or on publications or cross-media projects. The gallerist is a sort of cross between a dealer who may or may not have a permanent gallery, and a curator who likes to work with a small circle of artists, on a variety of presentations.