5 Questions with Art Advisor Nancy Gamboa

Jul 30, 2025

Nancy Gamboa is an art advisor based in Los Angeles whose boutique advisory focuses on establishing collections with sustained cultural, critical and market significance. She is known for guiding private collectors through individual acquisitions while maintaining a larger vision for their holdings. With expertise spanning emerging to blue chip contemporary art and historic works, Nancy's LA perspective and global outlook has established her international presence.

In this conversation, we explore her insights on the secondary art market, the cornerstones of her advisory practice, and what she believes makes for a greater cultural and philanthropic impact.

1AN: Your advisory practice focuses on collections with lasting cultural, critical, and market significance. How do you define those qualities when evaluating a potential acquisition for a client?

Nancy Gamboa: Discernment and alignment are key in evaluating potential acquisitions. I look beyond market trends to consider how an artwork resonates culturally, in its ability to shape or reflect broader societal conversation; critically as evidenced by institutional and scholarly engagement, and in terms of market, reflected in commercial viability and long-term value retention. For each client, I align these factors with their personal tastes and collecting goals to ensure that acquisitions hold meaning both in relation to the collector and as part of the evolving discourse on art. This holistic approach maximizes the potential for each acquisition to maintain relevance on multiple levels.

1AN: Speaking of multiple levels, you've cultivated deep knowledge of the Los Angeles art scene while maintaining a global reach. How does your regional insight enrich your advisory work on an international scale?

Nancy Gamboa: Living and working in Los Angeles during a critical period in its development into a globally recognized art nexus has underscored for me the importance of physical landscape, community, and ecosystem in shaping artistic production and engagement. These physical and cultural topographies, informed by the network of artists, institutions, curators, collectors, galleries, auction houses, and artist-run spaces, give a city its cultural identity. In an art world where travel is essential, attunement to place allows me to contextualize artworks within their local milieu, while offering my clients a nuanced, global perspective as they consider acquisitions across diverse geographies.

1AN: You work with everything from site-specific sculpture to time-based media to historic objects. How do you help clients expand their comfort zones while maintaining curatorial cohesion within their collections?

Nancy Gamboa: My advising process begins with a dialogue, educating my clients about art while listening closely to what resonates with them on a personal and aesthetic level. Together, we identify a focus for their collection, which serves as a unifying framework for future acquisitions. With this foundation in place, I guide my clients toward works that not only align with their focus but also challenge and expand it, introducing new media, ideas, and historical contexts to create collections that are deeply personal and dynamic both visually and intellectually.

Artwork placed; Carmen Herrera, Untitled Estructura (Green), 2007/2016, Acrylic and aluminium

1AN: You're deeply involved in philanthropic art initiatives, including overseeing museum loans and producing limited editions with artists. How do you guide collectors in aligning their collecting with greater cultural or philanthropic impact?

Nancy Gamboa: I offer my clients opportunities for philanthropic engagement that reflect their collecting goals and values while allowing them to take the lead on what feels aligned with their interests and ability to participate. This can take the form of exhibition loans, supporting nonprofit art initiatives, joining museum acquisition committees and patron groups, or providing institutional support through gifts and financial contributions. In working with collectors and nonprofit institutions, I've experienced firsthand how philanthropic engagement bridges collecting with broader cultural impact. This impact can occur at multiple levels, from an emerging artist benefiting from an exhibition loan or museum gift, to improved outcomes for communities in need, to setting a new standard for civic engagement, or providing the public with the opportunity to engage with work previously available to a rarefied few.

1AN: The secondary market is a key component of your practice. What are some of the challenges and opportunities in sourcing and placing works at this level, and how do you navigate the nuances of discretion, provenance, and timing?

Nancy Gamboa: Discretion, diligence, and an unwavering fiduciary duty to my clients are the cornerstones of my advisory practice. I leverage every available resource, including galleries, private dealers, auction houses, institutions, and artist estates, to secure exceptional works of art for my clients. The secondary market allows for greater agility in responding to market volatility, access to rare and targeted works, enhanced negotiation opportunities on behalf of my clients, and direct deaccessioning options. Confirming provenance, ensuring appropriate pricing, and assessing condition are non-negotiable baseline requirements for any acquisition. Equally, maintaining a robust network and staying deeply attuned to market conditions and timing are essential elements that enable me to optimize outcomes for my clients at every stage.

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Nancy Gamboa

Nancy Gamboa is an internationally recognized art advisor based in Los Angeles. Her boutique advisory services center on establishing and expanding collections that value sustained cultural, critical and market significance. Since 2012, Gamboa has worked closely with new and established private collectors, guiding their individual acquisitions to build focused...

5 Questions with Art Advisor Nancy Gamboa

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