An eye for diamonds in the rough

By Karen Tina Harrison | Special to amNewYork

January 21, 2008

The Big Career Switch: From diamond dealer to gallery owner

Who Pulled It Off: Moti Hasson, 44

What He Does: Hasson owns and runs Moti Hasson Gallery in Chelsea. (www.motihasson.com)

What He Did: Hasson, once a paratrooper in the Israeli Army, ran a diamond import and wholesale firm based in Tel Aviv and New York.

Why He Switched: "The diamond industry used to be exciting, but now it's all online and very impersonal. I wanted to do something else, and I'm a collector by nature. I was buying paintings and didn't like the way conventional galleries kept patrons away from their artists. I thought I could do better."

How He Did It: "I hired curators to help me run a gallery and assist in choosing art. I found a space on 38th St. and moved to 535 W. 25th St. last winter."

What A Gallery Owner Does: "My basic job is to bring my artists' work to the attention of collectors and museum curators. I scout new artists by visiting studios, and I develop relationships with buyers. This is an extremely social business. I supervise my staff of nine and the production of catalogues. And I exhibit at six or eight international art fairs a year."

Who Does This Job Best? "A gallery owner should be committed, competitive and a risk-taker. You must be patient and understanding with artists and collectors. You need a great eye for art, business savvy, street sense and a genius for marketing. And you have to work hard. I'm at my gallery six long days a week."

How's The Dough? "Most galleries don't break even for several years, so you need solid financing. But if your artists get talked about, your gallery will take off and you will do well."

What About Perks? "Getting my artists into museum shows and permanent collections is a very proud feeling."

What Else You Should Know: "My gallery brings together smart, edgy artists and dynamic young collectors. It's the art place to be."