Claude Simard co-founder of the Jack Shainman Gallery, which exhibits and represents contemporary artists from all over the world. Photo: Jackie Nickerson. Image courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery

IN MEMORIAL

Claude Simard, co-founder of the Jack Shainman Gallery and beloved friend dies at 58.

BY KAZAD

NEW YORK, NY— Claude Simard, co-founder of the Jack Shainman Gallery has died. He passed Tuesday. He was 58 years old. Simard’s sudden death took everyone by surprise and has filled many hearts with sorrow. “The earth beneath Jack Shainman Gallery tilted on Tuesday with the sudden passing of Claude Simard, co-founder of the gallery and beloved friend” explained Jack Shainman.

Reminiscing on their friendship and the formation of the Jack Shainman Gallery, Shainman remembers: “Together, Claude and I began the gallery more than 30 years ago with a solo exhibition of his paintings. The gallery was a vision that has surpassed even our most ambitious dreams, especially when The School in Kinderhook opened last month.”

Well-loved and celebrated for his devotion to the arts, Simard was an inspiration to artists, collectors and his friends, who have continued to grieve his passing. He was generous, exuberant and brought an expert eye to art collecting. According to Shainman, Simard will be deeply missed for his friendship and passion for the arts: “A voracious collector of artworks and artifacts from around the world, his passion reached everyone who knew him.  He nurtured the careers of numerous artists and touched the lives of countless individuals who credit him with their appreciation and love for art.”

Simard was not only an art collector and gallerist, he was also an artist. As an artist, his works and performances have been presented in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia. He is included in the permanent collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Akron Art Museum, Ohio, the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, and the Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal, among others.

In this video, friends and artists celebrate Claude Simard, co-founder of the Jack Shainman Gallery who passed away at the age at 58.