SUNRISE, FL — Barbara Gillman (1937-2023) was more than just a pioneering art gallery owner in Miami. Through her unceasing efforts, she transformed the Florida winter vacation destination into a leading contemporary art scene, championing artists such as Andy Warhol and showcasing works that expanded the horizons of art collectors in the Sunshine State and beyond. She served on the advisory committee that brought Art Basel to Miami Beach, perhaps the pinnacle achievement of her storied career in art.

Hill Auction Gallery has been selected by the Gillman estate to bring her lifetime collection to market, scheduled for Wednesday, September 18. The 100-lot sale is now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Chuck Close (1940-2021) was one of Gillman’s friends, a portraitist who worked both in painting and large-format photography. Close once noted he suffered from ‘face blindness’ (the inability to remember a person’s visage), so portraiture was key in helping him combat it. In 1988, Close suffered an aneurysm that left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, forever altering his style. MARTA / Fingerprint is from 1986, a 54 by 40in portrait with photo-like realism. Gillman acquired the work directly from Close. It is estimated at $1,000-$3,000.

Hand Painting on the Mandala, 1986 is an artist proof marked B.A.T. (bon a tirer, French for ‘good to print’) by artist Jim Dine (b. 1935-). The piece carries a tag for the Barbara Gillman Gallery, suggesting it may have once been for sale there. The work is a color engraving and power-tool drypoint with hand coloring on Arches paper measuring 50 by 40in, and is estimated at $1,000-$3,000.

Pop Art legend Ed Ruscha (b. 1937-) is another artist championed by Barbara Gillman. She acquired Ballerina, a limited edition color lithograph on paper (number 68 of 75) from Ruscha’s California 1988 portfolio. The striking silhouette measures 30 by 22in. Hill estimates it at $4,000-$8,000.