NEW YORK, 21 July 2016 – Sotheby’s is honored to present the public exhibition, Selections from the Collection of Barbara (B.Z.) and Michael Schwartz, in its York Avenue galleries from 19 July - 1 September. With an emphasis on American contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Carroll Dunham, Peter Halley, and Jack Goldstein, the works – on view at Sotheby’s while the family moves from their home of nearly 30 years – celebrate the couple’s shared passion for Contemporary Art and the tremendous dedication that has gone into assembling the collection.

Introduced to the art world at a young age by his parents, renowned collectors, Barbara and Eugene Schwartz, Michael dove into the 1980s art scene following graduation from university. Befriending members of the ‘Metro Pictures School’ and their assistants, he and his wife B.Z. began collecting in earnest. The result is a highly personal collection of Contemporary Art by artists that they have known and championed, some of whom are household names, while others are only now receiving wide-spread recognition.

Michael Schwartz noted: “Over the last thirty years, B.Z. and I have assembled a focused collection featuring a relatively small number of artists with significant depth across all of the mediums they use. What I find most rewarding is the deep friendships we have with each of them as we follow their careers from one decade to the next. To be able to live with these objects is a great joy."

Allan Schwartzman, Chairman, Fine Arts, commented: “Most young collectors start by dipping a couple of toes in the waters of the art market, learning the process by trial and – as many will later admit – more often error. But unlike virtually all of their peers, B.Z. and Michael Schwartz burst forth fully formed. With intelligence and enviable prescience, the Schwartz's have dedicated themselves to supporting artists of complexity and lasting resonance for more than 30 years. Sotheby’s is honored to present highlights from this deeply insightful, powerful and important collection in our newly renovated galleries in New York, perhaps inspiring a new generation of true collectors of contemporary art.”