JOHN MCWHINNIE (1968–2012)

John McWhinnie, rare book and art dealer, has died in a snorkeling accident while vacationing in the British Virgin Islands on Friday. He was forty-three. McWhinnie was the manager of Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, a gallery space and bookstore with sites in both Manhattan and East Hampton, for eight years before starting his eponymous project with the assistance of Horowitz in 2005, according to the East Hampton Patch. He was a champion of New York artists like Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Matthew Satz, Nicholas Weber, Peter Sabbath, and Jameson Ellis as well as a contributor to many publications. Weber said, “The only thing that eclipsed John’s intelligence is his heart. He loved artists, encouraged us to develop our work, and would become animated and inspired during a studio visit if he saw something good.”