Linda Givon, Founder of Goodman Gallery, Dies at 84

Linda Givon, founder of Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, died at age 84. She established the gallery in 1966 during apartheid, creating a non-discriminatory space when museums aligned with the government. Givon championed artists like Lisa Brice, David Goldblatt, William Kentridge, David Koloane, Sam Nhlengethwa, and Sue Williamson, boosting their careers locally and globally. Born in 1936, she worked at London's Grosvenor Gallery before returning to South Africa, opening a storefront in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, and expanding gradually. In 2003, she told The New York Times that other galleries showcased pretty township scenes for white elites, while she sought confrontational artists addressing social issues. She often bailed out Black artists arrested for pass offenses, and the gallery employed lookouts at multiracial events to avoid police shutdowns. In 2008, at 72, she sold the gallery to Liza Essers, who now owns it. Last year, Goodman opened its first international outpost in London, while maintaining enlarged spaces in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Essers paid tribute on social media, calling Givon a force of nature, pioneer, and patron, and expressed hope to continue her legacy. Givon's death marks a loss for South African and African contemporary art.