Jean-Michel Basquiat’s ascent from a young artist navigating downtown New York in the early 1980s to joining the twin pantheons of fine art and popular culture is a remarkable chapter in contemporary culture. His meteoric rise was not driven by artistic talent alone. It required a network of dealers, collectors, and tastemakers who transformed his art into cultural currency. Drawing from his new book, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon, former President of the Americas at Christie’s and former McKinsey & Company partner Doug Woodham takes you behind the scenes to reveal how artistic legacy and market forces combined to create a global icon. Followed by Q&A and book signing with the artist. Books will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Doug Woodham is Managing Partner of Art Fiduciary Advisors and the former President of the Americas at Christie’s. A Ph.D. economist and former McKinsey partner, he brings a rare combination of art-world experience and analytical rigor to the study of cultural icons. He is the author of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon (Thames & Hudson, 2025) and Art Collecting Today (Allworth Press, 2017).