A women-owned art gallery, Alentar was founded by Christine Kierig and Claire Westwood to cultivate the artistic growth and public appreciation of un-/under-exhibited artists, predominantly from Latin America. Christine brings deep curatorial experience and art historical education, while Claire's fascination with contemporary art trends and her background in community engagement enrich our vision of a more transparent gallery space.
Our central mission is to build meaningful connections between artworks and collectors, emphasizing close-looking as a way to appreciate artistic techniques, object histories, and the cultural narratives within each piece. We also see the gallery as a site for intellectual growth, where artists and audiences can learn more about the art market, curatorial choices, and art history.
Through our virtual platform, our website and active social media, alongside in-person pop-up exhibitions in cities around the world, we invite audiences to engage directly with the art and artists we champion, creating a shared space for discovery and inspiration.
Alentar is a Spanish word meaning: to foster, encourage, cultivate. An alternative configuration of these letters, Lentar, means to slow down. These meanings come together in our mission and vision for the gallery. We encourage you to slow down and spend time with our objects, online or in-person; let them take up space in your imagination, let them speak to you, move you, excite you, and then maybe take one home.
Christine Kierig - Director
Born and raised in San Diego, California, Christine became enamored with art while living in Spain during university. That fascination soon became her academic focus: a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of California-Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is currently completing her Doctorate in the History of Art from the University of California-Berkeley, specializing in global modern art and mass media.
An avid traveler committed to deepening her art historical knowledge, Christine lived in Auckland, New Zealand, working as Public Programs Coordinator for the Arts House Trust, and before relocating to Mexico City, she worked as Curatorial Assistant for the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.
Alongside developing her own expertise through education and work, Christine has worked to build a love of art in others, teaching undergraduates at both the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of California-Berkeley. Galería Alentar offers her a new audience with which to share her interests.
From art history generally to object and artist histories, collection, and curation, Christine is excited to use Galería Alentar and its platforms to create a more transparent space where fellow art lovers and collectors can appreciate objects.
Claire Westwood - Assistant Director
Claire grew up in a small town in Australia, where a deep curiosity about the wider world and a passion for the creative arts took root early. After high school, she travelled and worked in Europe, immersing herself in the artistic and cultural heritage of the region. One defining moment was sitting on the floor of the Sistine Chapel, awestruck by Michelangelo's masterpiece, an experience she had once only imagined through the pages of a library book.
Over the next two decades, Claire explored the intersection of creativity and culture, building a career in fashion and costume that blended creative vision with operational expertise. Her roles spanned both artistic and administrative work, sharpening her skills in project coordination, visual storytelling, and creative collaboration.
Now based in Mexico City, Claire is thrilled to bring her lifelong appreciation of the arts to her role as Assistant Director of Galería Alentar. She is passionate about connecting emerging artists with new audiences and collectors around the world, and believes in the power of art to inspire, challenge, and connect people across cultures.
Claire lives with her husband and their young daughter, who is already developing an eye for art of her own.
