[1] She is known for both her wide knowledge of historical movements and genres, such as Japanese photo-postcards[2] and her commitment to developing original talent.
[3] Some artists who became well-known were championed by her in their early years, such as Barbara Rosenthal[4] and Mark Feldstein.
Her father, Rollo Handy, is an itinerant philosopher (now retired); her mother was the former Toni Scheiner.
[7] Handy has written for international publications such as Arts magazine,[8] as well as small, regional ones, such as The Catskill Center for Photography Quarterly.
[10] She has also held curatorial posts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and, briefly, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.