Brent Sikkema and the Murder-for-Hire Scheme that Rocked the Art World
Divorce is rarely amicable. Given all the heartbreak, frustration, and unending financial attrition, one would expect a little bad feeling to seep out from time to time. However, in the case of famed New York gallerist Brent Sikkema, there is a possibility that things got out of hand. For Sikkema was stabbed to death in 2024, and his estranged husband now finds himself at the center of a salacious murder-for-hire trial.Sikkema was a well-known figure on the art circuit, counting the Obamas as friends. Championing diverse contemporary artists from his Chelsea gallery, Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, long before the rest of the world caught up, represented the likes of Vik Muniz, Arturo Herrera, and Kara Walker, who called him “a nurturing, protective figure.” Sikkema might have had his name on the door, but he was always careful to make sure it was the artists who stayed in the spotlight.
