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P

eople often turn to art objects in times of stress, though few regard
them as essential purchases. That, in a capsule, is what’s being felt
along the range of venues that bring us visual art in the Chicago area.
Seven commercial galleries closed in 2008, two saying they would
reopen in new spaces (they haven’t), two claiming other interests and
four citing a lack of support (meaning finances).
The health of remaining galleries -- more than 170 of them -- is diffi-
cult to determine, not only because of the spectrum of prices and art works shown but
also because the art business depends on projecting confidence. One sign that hesi-
tancy is the rule today comes from the Merchandise Mart, which by this time last year
released the number of participating galleries in Art Chicago, its annual May interna-
tional art exposition, but cannot do so now. Another sign of the economy’s effects on
the art world is the suspicion voiced by Catherine Edelman, gallery owner and head of
the Art Dealers Association of Chicago, that “several [galleries] will close within the
next six months.”

When the going gets


tough, the tough give up
art. The story of Chicago’s
failing art galleries.
By Alan G. Artner and Mark Caro

Roundabout Publishing April 2011 32

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