Gallerist and owner Katia David Rosenthal opened her intimate alcove in late 2023 after operating a gallery out of her Little Havana home. On the heels of KDR's first anniversary, Rosenthal reminisces on its opening night reception with a villainous smile.
Although Rosenthal received the keys to her new space in 2022, it took nearly a year to complete all the renovations. Even then, for her friend and artist Nick Irzyk's opening show, remnants of the construction remained.
"I had a bulldozer out front. There was a giant hole. I was covering holes with planks of wood so that people wouldn't fall in during my opening. The Rubells were sitting in lawn chairs. It was a disaster in my mind," Rosenthal says. Letting out a sigh of relief, she adds, "But I was so happy just to open my doors."
Rosenthal sits behind a large wooden desk on the second floor of her gallery. Her chocolate Oxford shirt dress is neatly pressed, and her bouncy curls are pulled back into a loose bun. Behind her, on the floating shelves, a large terracotta piece by Joel Gaitan is proudly displayed.
"Joel was the first artist that I ever worked with at my gallery, and he was the best artist to collaborate with as my first outing as a little gallery in Little Havana," she says, twisting around to get a good look at the vase.
Her desk has the usual amount of scattered papers and envelopes. In one corner, there's a photo of a man in sunglasses driving a car and offering a thumbs-up. While speaking about her success, Rosenthal glances over at the image of the late gallerist Bill Brady, who died in early 2023. Her eyes glisten.
"I knew that Bill was going to be the last person I worked for," she recalls. "I was always observing, listening to what he had to say because it was the same way I wanted to run my gallery. He was very intuitive."
The young gallerist first met Brady in New York City, where she was living and working in the art scene. The art veteran took a shine to Rosenthal and asked her to work for him at his gallery in Miami.
"Bill brought me back to Miami," she says lovingly.
"I love the fact that I am able to have this space and show artists that I love," says Katia David Rosenthal.
Photo by Vanessa Diaz
"I had a lot more joy and satisfaction in watching others that I helped cultivate their work than I had in making art myself. The joy for me comes from creating the shows with the artists," she explains.
Before her kismet meeting with Brady, Rosenthal worked at various galleries in NYC. Later, between 2016 and 2023, she assumed the role of director of the Bill Brady Gallery, absorbing every morsel of education from her mentor.
After a few years, it was time to pursue her dreams of opening up her own space. She acquired the funds and took a leap. The first-ever KDR gallery location was on the first floor of her Little Havana home.
"The small, converted Florida room was the beginning of KDR," she says, widening her eyes in disbelief at her trajectory. "I had openings at my house and got a community together. It was a lot of fun. But what I found was that artists weren't making things that were just, you know, 20 by 16. They were making art that was like six feet by eight feet, and they really wanted to show that."
It wasn't long until construction on KDR's current home in Allapattah began. Rosenthal carved out a beautiful home for artists right off NW 22nd Street, walking distance from Mindy Solomon Gallery, Andrew Reed Gallery, and Voloshyn Gallery.
The gallery space is constantly changing and evolving. One month, KDR will showcase clay sculptures. A few weeks later, large marlin fish made out of metal hang on the wall. Or, in the case of its current exhibition, warm and wild paintings adorn every corner. That's the beauty of owning your own gallery.
"I love the fact that I am able to have this space and show artists that I love," she adds. "Every gallery has its own strengths and tastes. I was under so many different tastes for so many years that it's finally nice to have my taste exhibited at my gallery."
KDR's latest show, "Almost Paradise" by Jeff Wigman, runs through October 12. The gallery successfully showcased Wigman's pieces at the NADA Art Fair last year.
"Jeff does this kind of 600-year-old method of painting, and his work looks like these beautiful Flemish paintings. They're amazing," she praises.
KDR. 790 NW 22nd St., Miami; 305-392-0416; kdr305.com. Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
