Stacey Epstein is a specialist in twentieth-century art and holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the Graduate Center at CUNY (2002), as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University (1986). Prior to her doctoral studies, she attended the Sotheby’s Institute of Art (1990), where she developed a sophisticated understanding of the complex interplay between the historical significance and economic value of art. Inspired by this experience, Stacey went on to forge a distinctive path in the gallery world at a time when art historians more commonly pursued professional roles in museums and academia.

From 1998-2015, Stacey enjoyed a successful career as a director at Hollis Taggart Galleries. There she conducted significant private and institutional sales, facilitated important gallery acquisitions, oversaw scholarly research and exhibitions and worked hand-in-hand with collectors. Her diverse experience as an art historian, advisor, and curator, combined with extensive gallery expertise, laid the foundation for her move forward to establish Stacey Epstein Fine Art in 2015.

Throughout her career, Stacey has curated numerous critically regarded exhibitions while maintaining an active practice as an independent advisor. In addition to many gallery exhibitions organized over the years, Stacey co-curated the acclaimed 2015 museum retrospective Alfred Maurer: At the Vanguard of Modernism for the Addison Gallery of American Art and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She authored the accompanying catalogue published by the Addison Gallery of American Art in association with Yale University Press.

A sought-after lecturer, Stacey has been invited to speak at institutions including the Norton Museum of Art, International Center of Photography, Addison Gallery of American Art, Wichita Art Museum, Bruce Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. She is also a regular contributor to museum publications and leading art journals.

Over the last three decades, Stacey has made significant contributions to the evolving art world through her collaborations with artist foundations and estates, and her work with collectors in building and managing distinguished art collections. She has placed iconic artwork including important twentieth-century masterpieces by Richard Diebenkorn, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Joan Mitchell, Hans Hofmann, Georgia O’Keeffe, Milton Avery, Susan Rothenberg, Alice Neel, Richard Pousette-Dart and Roy Lichtenstein, among others. Stacey has also initiated and overseen landmark gifts to institutions including Harvard Art Museums (2026), and spearheaded major public sculpture initiatives for New York City — reflecting a career defined by a deep commitment to the arts.