Esthella Provas
{{Short description|Mexican art dealer}}
{{Infobox artist|
| name = Esthella Provas
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| image = Esthella Provas at Venice Biennale.jpg
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| caption = Esthella Provas at the Venice Biennale
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| birth_place = Nogales, Mexico
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| nationality = Mexican
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| website = www.esthellaprovas.com
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| known_for = Art Dealer
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Esthella Provas (born in Nogales, Mexico){{Cite web|last=Knox |first=Gordon M. |title=Turn Off The Sun - Forward |url=https://www.academia.edu/10223255}} is an art dealer regarded as one of the world's most influential art advisors.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} She is considered pivotal in the creation of the Museo Jumex in Mexico City, Mexico, the largest contemporary art collection in Latin America, and responsible for the collection's acquisitions. According to The New York Times, "With more than 2,800 works, the Colección Jumex is among the largest in Latin America in consultation with Provas."{{Cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=2021-07-05 |title=He's Heir to a Fruit-Juice Empire, but His Main Focus Is Art |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/05/arts/design/eugenio-lopez-alonso-jumex-art-collection.html |access-date=2022-03-30 |issn=0362-4331}}
In 2023, ARTnews named Provas' eponymous company, Esthella Provas and Associates, as one of the top art advisories in the world. To compile the list, ARTnews "consulted an array of specialists in the field, including members of the Association of Professional Art Advisors — as they often deal with a distinctive assortment of professionals in building and managing clients’ collections."{{Cite web |last=Boucher |first=Brian |date=2023-10-23 |title=The Top 75 Art Professionals |url=https://www.artnews.com/list/art-news/market/the-top-75-art-professionals-1234683427/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=ARTnews.com |language=en-US}}
Career
Provas is well-reputed as an art adviser {{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} and has been fundamental in building the careers of notable artists, including John Baldessari and Mary Corse.{{Cite book |last=Hertz |first=Richard |title=The Beat and the Buzz: Inside the L.A. Art World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fajgsd9PVmUC&dq=esthella+provas&pg=PA313 |publisher=Hol Art Books |year=2011 |isbn=9781936102204}} At the start of her career, Provas as described by Forbes as "a striking brunette," worked for Hanson Galleries in Beverly Hills, California.{{Cite web |last=Eckstein Jones |first=Laura |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Invest in Watches, Cars, Clothes and More With L.A.'s Top Curators and Dealers |url=https://mlangeleno.com/la-wealth-management |website=Angeleno Magazine}} In the 1990s, Provas co-founded Chac Mool Gallery with Eugenio López Alonso in Los Angeles, California, which was a fixture in the Southern California art scene until its closing in 2006. They originally met in 1993 in Beverly Hills when López Alonso walked into Provas' gallery. Initially López Alonso and Provas dealt in contemporary Latin American art but grew their program to encompass international and local legends like Charles Arnoldi, Robert Graham, Edward Ruscha, Robert Ryman, Kenneth Noland, Bernar Venet, and Robert Gober.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-10 |title=Step Inside the Art-Filled California Home of Museo Jumex Founder Eugenio López Alonso |url=https://galeriemagazine.com/eugenio-lopez-los-angeles/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Galerie |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Chac Mool Gallery {{!}} Past and Future Exhibitions {{!}} on artist-info |url=https://www.artist-info.com/users/publicpagegallery/7128 |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=www.artist-info.com}}
Provas is a decisive figure in the international art world. She is a co-founder of the Latin American International Art Council for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Provas is a Development Consultant for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Latin American Initiatives and serves as a member of the museum's Director's Circle. In addition to her involvement in the institutional world, Provas was the Chair of LAXART and a founding member of the Los Angeles Nomadic Division.{{Cite web |date=2009-11-01 |title=Shamim Momin: Promised Land |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/land |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=W Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Esthella Provas & Associates |url=https://esthellaprovas.com/about-esthella |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Esthella Provas & Associates |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=HONOR FRASER |url=https://honorfraser.com/?s=past&eid=60&c=press |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=honorfraser.com}} Provas is an avid supporter of AmfAR in Mexico City and has hosted auction dinners with López Alonso featuring performances by Gloria Gaynor and Grace Jones.{{Cite web |title=Gloria Gaynor Performs At amfAR's Mexico City Dinner |url=https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62789874/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-02-10 |title=Grace Jones graces the stage for Aids charity at Mexico City home of Eugenio López |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/02/10/grace-jones-graces-the-stage-for-aids-charity-at-mexico-city-home-of-eugenio-lopez |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}
Known for her high-profile clientele and characteristic Cleopatra-styled bob haircut, Provas is frequently seen on the art world circuit at globally recognized art fairs including Art Basel, Frieze Art Fair, Zona Maco, The Armory Show, and The European Fine Art Fair. With Chac Mool Gallery, Provas exhibited at the first Art Basel Miami Beach, helping raise the fair's profile to an international audience. She was also the first to buy a booth at the Zona Maco art fair in Mexico City with her gallery.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-05 |title=How Mexico City's art scene and its biggest fair, Zona Maco, have grown over 20 years |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/02/05/mexico-city-zona-maco-fair-20th-anniversary |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}{{Cite web |title=Chac Mool Gallery - Directory - e-flux |url=https://www.e-flux.com/directory/70454/chac-mool-gallery/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=www.e-flux.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Bernar Venet at Art Basel Miami Beach - Announcements - e-flux |url=https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/42920/bernar-venet-at-art-basel-miami-beach/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=www.e-flux.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sutton |first=Kate |date=2014-06-24 |title=Art Basel: Artist Matthew Barney Presents Six-Hour Film |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/art-basel-artist-matthew-barney-714518/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
In 2024, Provas curated an exhibition with Kotaro Nukaga in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan featuring works by artists Amadour, Stefan Brüggemann, Jose Dávila, Michael Rikio Ming Hee Ho, and Rirkrit Tiravanija.{{Cite web |title=Materiality and Language: Explorations in Form and Meaning Curated by Esthella Provas （Kotaro Nukaga (Roppongi)） |url=https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/en/events/-/Materiality-and-Language-Explorations-in-Form-and-Meaning-Curated-by-Esthella-Provas/446-D713-F/2024-06-08 |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Tokyo Art Beat |language=en}} She also curated an exhibition with Galería OMR in Los Angeles featuring works by Doug Aitken, Atelier Van Lieshout, Claudia Comte, Simon Fujiwara, Alicja Kwade, and Tony Matelli.{{Cite web |last=Lew |first=Agnes |date=2024-03-01 |title=How to Navigate This Year's Frieze Los Angeles and Felix Art Fair |url=https://beverlyhillscourier.com/2024/02/29/how-to-navigate-this-years-frieze-los-angeles-and-felix-art-fair/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Beverly Hills Courier |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Fraser |first=Honor |date=2024-02-28 |title=Honor Fraser Brings Us Along on a Whistle-Stop Tour of the L.A. Art World |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/day-in-the-life-honor-fraser-2438416 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}
= Influence =
In 2022, artist Urs Fischer made a candle for his retrospective exhibition 'Lovers' at the Museo Jumex featuring Provas and Jumex president Eugenio López Alonso.{{Cite news |last=Amadour |first=Ricky |date=2022-04-28 |title=Urs Fischer Spotlights Pluralistic Notions of Love |language=en |work=Frieze |issue=228 |url=https://www.frieze.com/article/urs-fischer-lovers-2022-review |access-date=2023-04-13 |issn=0962-0672}}{{Cite web |title=Urs Fischer Eugenio & Esthella 2021–2022 |url=https://ursfischer.com/images/645246 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=ursfischer.com}}
Notable milliner Gladys Tamez designed a panama hat inspired by Provas' distinctive style.{{Cite web |title=Esthella |url=https://gladystamez.com/products/esthella |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Gladys Tamez Millinery |language=en}}
= Museo Jumex =
She also is responsible for guiding the acquisitions of the Colección Jumex with artists including Richard Prince, Francis Alÿs, Alighiero Boetti, Gego, Donald Judd, Glenn Ligon, Nancy Rubins, Jeff Koons, Gabriel Orozco, Mariana Castillo Deball, Jose Dávila, Pia Camil, Richard Serra, Julie Mehretu, Lucio Fontana, Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst, Bosco Sodi, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Catherine Opie, Lari Pittman, Jannis Kounellis, Tracey Emin, Minerva Cuevas, Dan Graham, Charles Ray, Rudolf Stingel, Lucio Fontana, and Ellsworth Kelly.{{Cite book |last1=Greet |first1=Michele |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1227099166 |title=Art museums of Latin America : structuring representation |last2=Tarver |first2=Gina McDaniel |date=30 September 2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-367-66700-9 |oclc=1227099166}}{{Cite book |last1=Giugale |first1=Marcelo |title=Achievements and Challenges of Fiscal Decentralization |last2=Webb |first2=Steven Benjamin |publisher=World Bank |year=2000 |isbn=9780821347324}}{{Cite book |last=People. |first=United Council of Spanish Speaking |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1113596703 |title=Saludos hispanos. |publisher=Saludos Hispanos |oclc=1113596703}}{{Cite book |last=Herausgeber. |first=Sáiz-Alvarez, José Manuel 1964- |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1105618465 |title=Handbook of research on entrepreneurial leadership and competitive strategy in family business |year=2019 |publisher=IGI Global |isbn=978-1-5225-8012-6 |oclc=1105618465}}{{Cite news |title=Watch Now: Up Close and in Person at Frieze Los Angeles {{!}} Frieze |url=https://www.frieze.com/up-close-person-frieze-los-angeles-2022 |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=www.frieze.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Coleccion |url=https://www.fundacionjumex.org/es/fundacion/coleccion |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=Museo Jumex |language=es}} Provas has also curated exhibitions with artists Chris Levine, Mario García Torres, Jill Magid, Peppi Bottrop, Micol Hebron{{Cite web |title=Yoshua Okon and Micol Hebron at Arco'03 - Announcements - e-flux |url=https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/43262/yoshua-okon-and-micol-hebron-at-arco-03/ |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=www.e-flux.com |language=en}} and Jorge Méndez Blake.{{Cite web |title='Chingaderas Sofisticadas' at Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles – ARTnews.com |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/chingaderas-sofisticadas-at-kohn-gallery-los-angeles-9053/ |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=www.artnews.com|date=26 September 2017 }}
Personal life
Provas lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Provas, Esthella}}
Category:American art collectors
Category:American art curators
Category:Mexican art collectors
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Mexican women curators
Category:People from Mexico City
Category:People from Beverly Hills, California