The Truth? You can't handle the truth! The closed gallery : Plight of the bourgeoise?

As you know, we are about to close our physical location by the end of June.

Please stop by, say hello, see the new work and some favorites ++
be sure to ask about our generous collectors incentives...that's right...

Dare I say BLOW OUT SALE. (A collector asked me if I was having a blow-out sale...I thought this was kind of funny -read on.)

SALE!!??? WHA’??

It’s a nasty, bourgeois practically taboo thing to say in the gallery world -
it's just not done.
But hey, it’s the truth in a way....

If I were a non-profit I could call it a "fund raiser to support artists".
But since I am neither non-profit NOR all about money,
I guess I’ll just call it "selling art".
As usual, as in 99.9% of galleries, non profit status or otherwise, the work is for sale.

Selling art is not a bad thing, it just is.

All art organizations and galleries and artists
need money to survive in this current cosmopolitan society -
where it comes from is what differentiates all of us.

It is a truly perplexing phenomenon and at once a sobering reality that we are
dependent and simultaneously judged by our social status based upon our income and
our ability to achieve success through the accumulation of funds.

I don't think many of us go into the business of art "to make money". But it certainly is gratifying when the money comes in *.
I for one, have been living in the romantic notion that one should make a living doing the thing that they love...how that "living" and to what extent it is defined is another thing. One thing is for sure - you can't do an art business alone no matter how you look at it.

And I think it is important to say that
galleries ARE all about supporting artists and the artist community....meaning,
that is why we who open galleries - open galleries.

We like art, we love art, we can’t live without art and we want
as many people as possible to do the same.
Because art is a love-able thing and who can’t do without a little love?

This is what galleries do to support artists:

Engage audiences and foster relationships through education, discussion and academic references to their work in the exhibit environment.
Boost their careers through promotion of them and the work they are doing.
Curate their best work into a show.
Provide an exhibition space, facilitating artists intent with
professional, interesting and engaging presentations or installations.
Glean press recognition that furthers artists exposure and informs and teaches
mass and/or academic audiences about the artists.
Educate about the importance of supporting the arts through collecting.
Nurture or sustain their careers through guidance, support and even life-long friendships.

These above mentioned supersede the "Blow Out Sale" stuff in importance and pleasure.

But on the other hand, there is nothing like writing a big fat check to an artist
that you have been supporting with the above mentioned
and whose work you love and
who may just well be a friend of yours at this point...

and that my friend, makes selling art really worth it.

*NY Times and NPR recently noted affluent art buyers not effected whatsoever by the "recession"...calling them "Recession Proof".