Artsy Announces Acquisition of Social Impact Platform Greenhouse Auctions and Appoints Its Founder and CEO Shlomi Rabi to Artsy’s VP of Auctions
Inaugural Greenhouse Auction under Artsy’s Brand, “Higher Power—Brothers@: Benefit Auction 2021
NEW YORK, November 29, 2021 — Artsy, the largest global online art marketplace, today announces its acquisition of social impact auction platform Greenhouse Auctions, and the appointment of its founder and CEO, Shlomi Rabi, to VP of Artsy’s auctions business. As VP of Auctions, Rabi will lead Artsy’s commercial and benefit auctions businesses. This important acquisition and appointment marks Artsy’s continued investment in its growing secondary-market business, further deepening its art industry talent and enhancing the value provided to Artsy’s partners and collectors. The strategic acquisition also spotlights Artsy’s commitment to social responsibility and increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
With Artsy’s acquisition of Greenhouse Auctions—founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic—Rabi joins the online marketplace’s leadership team as VP of Auctions following a successful 20-year career in the art industry. With his deep auction-world experience, which spans a variety of leadership roles at premier international auction houses including Phillips and Christie’s, Rabi will work closely with executive leadership to strategically grow Artsy’s commercial and benefit auction business. He will also manage Artsy’s growing team of art experts who specialize in post-war and contemporary art, prints and multiples, and other collecting categories to support in sourcing, selling, and appraising artworks.
Greenhouse Auctions is a social-impact auction platform with a unique structure. It unlocks opportunities with a growing number of nonprofits and key players in the primary market who are drawn to Greenhouse’s commitment to social justice initiatives, and its dedicated scholarship fund for art history students in HBCUs. This strategic acquisition supports both Artsy’s and Greenhouse Auctions’ mission of combining profit with purpose, and is neatly aligned with the values of next-gen and established collectors.
Discussing Artsy’s acquisition of Greenhouse Auctions and the appointment of its founder to VP of Auctions, Dustyn Kim, Artsy’s Chief Revenue Officer, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Shlomi to Artsy. From our initial conversations, it was clear how much we were aligned, from our shared core values to his mission for Greenhouse to evolve, diversify, and democratize the art world.”
Kim added: “With his unique combination of entrepreneurial and art world experience, and depth of auction knowledge spanning 20 years—as both founder and leader—Shlomi is perfectly positioned to accelerate our next phase of growth for our commercial and benefit auctions, and I am excited to work closely with him in this endeavor.”
Commenting on his new position at Artsy and its acquisition of his auction business, Shlomi Rabi, Artsy’s newly appointed VP of Auctions, said: “I am thrilled and honored to bring Greenhouse Auctions to Artsy. As the art world’s preeminent online platform, Artsy supports the values that Greenhouse was built upon, including democratizing art collecting, diversifying the art ecosystem, and centralizing the global art market into a single click of a button.”
Rabi continued: “Greenhouse was founded during the pandemic as a safe space for artists, galleries, and nonprofits to connect, exhibit, and raise funds. Additionally, by feeding a unique scholarship for HBCU art history students with each auction, Greenhouse has promoted cross-strata diversity and turned the act of art collecting into a statement of social justice. There is no better partner than Artsy to continue championing diversity and inclusivity to a global, digital audience.”
Inaugural Greenhouse Auction under Artsy’s Brand, “Brothers@: Higher Power Benefit Auction 2021”
As part of the new partnership, Artsy will launch Greenhouse’s first social-impact auction, “Higher Power—Brothers@: Benefit Auction 2021” on November 29th in support of Brothers@. Founded by Dariel Vazquez, Brothers@ is a dual-beneficiary high-school retention and college persistence organization with the mission of improving the academic and social-emotional outcomes of young men of color in both secondary and post-secondary education. The nonprofit organization is designed to empower men of color to pursue their academic goals and enter the workforce, particularly in industries that have lagged in diversity.
Curated by rising star K.O. Nnamdie, recently featured in New York Observer’s “Arts Power/50” issue, the auction features works by over 15 artists who have lent their support to Brothers@’s mission through their participation. By leveraging the collective platforms, this auction marks a unique opportunity for collectors and artists alike to support the next generation of men of color to enter, shape, and lead the future of the art world.
ABOUT SHLOMI RABI
Shlomi Rabi is a 20-year veteran of the world’s leading international auction houses. As a Middle Eastern immigrant raised in Central America, he is intent to champion and empower underrecognized creative voices in the art world. Previously, he held the position of Vice President at Christie’s and Head of Sale at Phillips, where, collectively, he oversaw a record number of single-owner auctions and a multitude of world auction records. Throughout his career, he has worked closely on numerous institutional collaborations with leading organizations including the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Aperture Foundation, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2008, in his role as an arts and culture writer for the NBC5 Chicago Street Team, he received an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Alternate Media.
ABOUT GREENHOUSE AUCTIONS
Until its recent acquisition by Artsy, Greenhouse Auctions was an online auction platform designed to support artists, promote diversity, and provide a welcoming platform for buyers. Sellers—be it artists or galleries—offered artwork in thematic auctions that encouraged cross-category participation, reduced speculation, and provided a global audience. Buyers directly supported artists, by pursuing exciting artwork in a fair and transparent model, and investing in the next generation of talent. This also supported the scholarship fund benefitting HBCU students who are studying art history.
ABOUT ARTSY
Artsy is the largest global online marketplace for discovering, buying, and selling fine art by leading artists. Artsy connects 4,000+ galleries, auction houses, art fairs, and institutions from 100+ countries with more than 2 million global art collectors and art lovers across 190+ countries. Artsy makes purchasing art welcoming, transparent and low-friction with industry-leading technology that connects supply and demand safely and securely at a global scale. Launched in 2012, Artsy is headquartered in New York City with offices in London, Berlin, and Hong Kong.
