Matthew Israel, PhD, is a historian of art and culture based in New York. For the past 25 years, he has worked in and written about the contemporary art world. He helped build Artsy, co-founded Artful, and was Head Curator at Meta Open Arts. He is also the author of three books on contemporary art: Kill for Peace, The Big Picture, and A Year in the Art World.

Matthew currently offers strategic consulting, with a focus on art & AI, art authentication, online image search and discovery technology, and art organization management.

In parallel with his work in contemporary art, Matthew has spent the last 2+ years researching and writing a new book, No New Ideas (HarperCollins, Spring 2026), which traces the histories behind influential contemporary self-help and wellness ideas.