Danielle Fox

Principal Partner and Managing Member, Slate Art LLC

An art historian by training (PhD, Northwestern University), Danielle has over thirty years of experience in the art world as a teacher, writer, editor, curator; as Deputy Director of Business Development at Sotheby’s in London; as communications and project manager for Artakt Art consulting in London; founder of SLATE Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, and Principal Partner of SLATE Art Consulting. She brings to her work an understanding of the international art market; experience working with galleries and auction houses; and five years in the interior design field, which gives her a special understanding of the important role that art plays in architectural and design programs. Danielle oversees operations for SLATE Art LLC, manages SLATE’s Public Art program, and curates collections for key clients. She is also a Member of the Board of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association.

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Shelley Barry

Principal Partner and Managing Member, Slate Art LLC

Art is Shelley’s business. With an early career in sales and marketing for multi-national companies, she has over twenty years of experience in the art world, thirteen of which she spent as the sole proprietor of a small corporate art consulting firm. Shelley currently oversees SLATE’s business development activities, in addition to curating bespoke art programs for key account clientele. Shelley has served on various boards, such as the San Ramon Arts Foundation, the San Ramon Arts Advisory Committee, Student Art For Education’s Advisory Council, and was appointed by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors to serve as a Commissioner At-Large for the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County. Formerly a Vice Chair on the Board of the Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation, Shelley is also a member the San Francisco Art Dealers Association.

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Jillian Piccirilli

Senior Associate

Jillian holds a BFA in Painting and a BA in Anthropology from Cornell University. She is a former exhibition manager for Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and Director of Operations for Oakland Art Murmur. Jillian has worn many hats at SLATE Art since she joined the team in 2015. She previously served as business manager and SLATE contemporary gallery manager, working with many of SLATE Art Consulting’s top clients in the architecture and design industries. Jillian currently serves on SLATE Art's general management team, as well as a project manager for SLATE Art Consulting, with a focus on the tech industry, higher education, and public art.

Ryan Robertson

Business Manager

Ryan received her BFA from Santa Fe University of Art and Design with an emphasis in painting & drawing. After graduating, she stayed in Santa Fe and interned with The International Folk Art Alliance and the Center for Diversity and Integrated Learning at SFCC. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2018, she has worked as a Production Coordinator and Office Manager in the film industry, collaborating on documentary passion projects as well as creating content for major corporations and tech companies. She is excited to join the SLATE Team and return to her roots in the Fine Arts world. When she isn’t at work, you can find her painting in her studio, trying to hone her culinary skills at home in Oakland, or somewhere along the coast camping with her partner. 

Donna Napper

Senior Art Consultant

Donna’s career in the field of contemporary art combines more than twenty years in both southern and northern California, working as a gallery owner, exhibition curator, and art consultant. She founded and directed her own art gallery in Los Angeles for eight years, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as the Curator and Director of Public Programs for the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. More recently, Donna has focused on art advisory projects, placing art in corporate collections for clients in health care, real estate development, legal, banking, and information technology industries. She is the former Co-Chair for the Northern California chapter of ArtTable, a national organization for women working in visual arts leadership positions. She currently serves on the Advisory Council and Curatorial Committee for Root Division, an arts non-profit in San Francisco. Donna has a passion for supporting artists with their professional development.

Rowan Coughlin

Senior Art Consultant

Rowan cut her chops in the art world working in museums in the U.S. and Scotland. She eventually realized she wanted even more connection with the artists she represented and went on to be the Director of Gauntlet Gallery in San Francisco, CA, working closely with the artist community and letting the creativity flow. After Gauntlet, she partnered with interior designers on large-scale hospitality projects as an art consultant at Kevin Barry Art Advisory. Rowan has been taking on special projects with select clients for the past several years through her own firm, Rowan Coughlin Art Advisory, that she continues to run in addition to working with SLATE's corporate and multi-family housing projects. One of Rowan's favorite things about working with creatives is the ability to conceptualize and on-the-ground problem-solve together.

Nia Taylor

Project Manager

Nia has an MA in Visual Arts Administration from New York University. She has worked at Bloomsbury Auctions New York, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, ArtTable, and the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA). Nia manges international projects for SLATE’s key clients in the tech sector, curates rotating exhibitions, and manages Public Art projects. She is also Chair of the City of Palo Alto’s Public Art Commission.