Brent Sikkema: Renowned New York Art Dealer Fatally Stabbed in Brazil Residence, Potential Suspect Captured on Camera”
Renowned New York art dealer Brent Sikkema has reportedly been fatally stabbed in his Rio apartment, triggering an investigation by Brazilian authorities into the alleged homicide. Sikkema, a co-owner of the prominent contemporary Chelsea art gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co., was found dead on the night of January 15.
Brent Sikkema
The gallery expressed sorrow over his passing, and Sikkema’s lawyer, Simone Nunes, alerted authorities after discovering the body during a check-in prompted by a lack of contact over the weekend.
A forensic examination is underway, with authorities conducting interviews and pursuing leads to unravel the circumstances of the case. Security camera footage, provided by the firm Gabriel, has been released, revealing a mysterious man outside Sikkema’s residence in the early hours of January 14. The footage shows the individual waiting, entering the property, and leaving 14 minutes later, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend the suspect.
Born in 1948 in Morrison, Illinois, Brent Sikkema was a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute and held the position of director of exhibitions at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York, in 1971. He later directed Boston’s Vision Gallery from 1976 to 1980, eventually founding Wooster Gardens in New York in 1991. The gallery evolved into Sikkema Jenkins & Co., relocating to the Chelsea arts district in 1999. Michael Jenkins became a partner in 2003. The art community mourns the loss of a significant figure, awaiting further details from the ongoing investigation.
