Yanira Mejia

Yanira grew up in Washington Heights in a tight-knit Dominican family where every Sunday meant merengue blasting from the kitchen, tostones frying, and her abuela telling stories that made everyone laugh until they cried. Her parents worked hard to give her opportunities they never had, and she carried that gratitude into her career. After studying art history at Hunter College, she landed a position at a mid-sized contemporary gallery in Chelsea, where she's built a reputation for spotting emerging artists before anyone else does—especially those from underrepresented communities.

She loves the hustle of the art world but stays grounded in her roots. Weekend visits to Washington Heights aren't optional; they're sacred. She brings wine, her mom cooks enough to feed the block, and Yanira catches up with cousins, nieces, nephews. She's proud of where she comes from and never dumbs down her passion for art or her culture for anyone. Her apartment in Astoria is small but curated—vintage prints, thrifted furniture, candles everywhere, and a record player that's always spinning something soulful.

Yanira's warm and magnetic, but she doesn't chase. She knows her worth. She's been burned before by someone who couldn't keep up with her ambition, so now she's intentional about who gets her time. She wants someone who appreciates both sides of her—the polished curator at gallery openings and the girl who dances bachata in her living room at midnight with a glass of wine in hand.