The Meeting, founded in 2016, is an art advisory firm and private exhibition space specializing in contemporary art.  Its name references the painting “The Meeting, Or Bonjour Monsieur” by Gustave Courbet, a masterpiece that depicts an encounter between the artist and his patron, and which defines the synergetic relationship between them..

Bill Cournoyer, founder of The Meeting, is an independent and passionate collector who has acquired contemporary art over the last 20 years, as well as, surveyed and mastered the international contemporary art landscape.  His own collection is an impressive representation of some of the most talented emerging artists in New York and Europe, and includes a diverse mix of painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper and video.

Cournoyer was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and graduated from the School of International Service at The American University. His passion for art began with a visit to the Louvre during a family vacation and visits during college to museums like the Prado in Madrid and the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.  His move to New York City established his interest in contemporary art and his familiarity with the world’s most visionary contemporary art galleries then located in Soho.  An article by Roberta Smith about the emerging gallery scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn provided the impetus for Cournoyer’s initial focus on emerging artists.