Gallery founder + director Melanie Courbet shares a worthwhile organization in Sierra Leone, the place she just can't stop shopping + more in Friday Five.

Influenced by her French and Tunisian parents, along with her own travels and collaborations, Melanie Courbet founded Les Ateliers Courbet in 2013. She also acts as the New York gallery’s director, with the space focusing on a master-craftsman ethos and the sharing of art that embodies artisanal dexterity and cultural heritage. Melanie credits her mother for helping to form her artistic sensibility, while the inspiration for the gallery comes from her father, who helped to spearhead the organic food movements in Paris in the 1970s.
Les Ateliers Courbet comes with international recognition for its dedication to craftsmanship legacies and techniques that have stood the test of time. Today, the gallery represents a permanent roster of more than 30 ateliers whose works reside in the decorative arts and furniture. Melanie works with private collectors, interior designers, and public institutions to foster and share the work of these sometimes centuries-old manufacturers and international contemporary artisans. Melanie Courbet
Before making the jump and owning her own gallery space, Melanie worked in Los Angeles advising young collectors, managing design projects, and organizing exhibitions in New York and Paris. She also incubated the Love & Art for Children Foundation and managed design studio Dror’s ...