Jack Shainman Gallery Co-Founder Claude Simard Dies

On Tuesday, June 24, the artist and dealer Claude Simard, who co-founded (with its namesake) the powerhouse gallery Jack Shainman in 1984 in Washington, DC, died. In an email at the end of the day on Wednesday Shainman described Simard’s death as “sudden.”

Simard was born in 1956, and in addition to remaining heavily involved with the gallery up until his death, he was an artist in his own right—though not to be confused with the Quebecois painter Claude A. Simard. His works are in the collections of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, the Akron Art Museum, and the Guggenheim.

“Together, Claude and I began the gallery more than 30 years ago with a solo exhibition of his paintings,” Shainman wrote in an announcement. “Known for his kind words and innumerable acts of generosity, his quiet demeanor was matched only by his exuberance and expert eye. 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.”