In 2014 James Trotta-Bono founded a multi-disciplinary company, Trotta-Bono Contemporary, as a way of combining his decades-long art background with his aligned and evolving passions. James is the fine art consultant for Creative Visions Foundation of Los Angeles. He serves as the youngest board member of the EAC (Ethnic Arts Council) and is a founding member of the Hammer Museum’s Hammer Collective.

A native New Yorker born into a family art business, James is an entrepreneur serving as an artist representative, art dealer, curator, fine art consultant and philanthropist. James received a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and has continued his education through specialized post graduate courses in the arts. As an art dealer, his primary focus is on modern art, the art of indigenous peoples (contemporary and historic) and the work of contemporary creative activists. As a supporter of creative activists, James focuses on art that has the ability to influence social perceptions. As a philanthropist, he focuses on donating to causes that support these beliefs.

James holds numerous accomplishments in his fields, including setting record prices in various private sales. He has co-written, edited and published “To Satisfy the Desires of the Soul”, an important book on the material culture of the Eastern Woodlands Tribes. He has curated solo and group shows in New York City, Palm Beach, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa fe, including the critically acclaimed Jose Bedia show “On the Frontier: the art of Jose Bedia” at El Museo. By continually connecting with artists, collectors, institutions and organizations, James has placed important works of art in the collections of Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Art OMI and the International Center of Photography (ICP). Privately, James has placed significant works by established artists such as Agnes Martin, Roy Lichtenstein, Damien Hirst, José Bedia, Fletcher Benton and Andrew Wyeth. Last November, James collaborated with Heinrich Schweizer and Sotheby’s to bring the legendary Estate of George Terasaki to public sale. George was widely considered to be a great connoisseur of Native American Art.

James is currently representing the work of artists, Lekha Singh, Damián Siqueiros, Vicky Steckel and Dan Eldon – placing their work in museums, private collections and galleries around the globe. James maintains a private gallery in Venice, California, where he highlights the work of these artists and others.