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Tuesday, July 29,2008
Milwaukee loves art, though, right? Gallery Night is heavily attended, so much so that it’s sometimes hard to actually enjoy the art on the walls through the cheese-nibbling crowds. But gal leries, particularly those showing emerging artists, come and go. Gene Evans, who runs Luckystar Studio along with his wife, Bridget Griffith Evans, estimates that more than 30 galleries have opened and closed in Milwaukee since 2001. Evans lists a variety of reasons for this, but puts most of it down to business failure. “Brooks [Barrow] was here right before he shut down, and I don’t think he sold five paintings,” Evans says. “It’s hard to keep going when you’re not making any money.”
It’s also hard to attract artists to Milwaukee when they can’t sell any work. “Alot of those artists we used to show won’t show here anymore,” Evans says. “I think nationally it’s just known that this isn’t a buying town.”
GALLERIES continued on next page >>
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By Mollie Boutell-Butler
Photos of The Armoury Gallery and Paper Boat Gallery by Dave Zylstra
When Mike Brenner threatened last winter to close Hotcakes Gallery and leave town if funds were raised to erect a bronze statue of The Fonz, a lot of people accused him of being whiny, or worse. But at the heart of his com plaint was the fact that, despite easily raising $85,000 for the Bronze Fonz, people just aren’t walking into local galleries and purchasing art, which makes it hard for those galleries to stay in business.Milwaukee loves art, though, right? Gallery Night is heavily attended, so much so that it’s sometimes hard to actually enjoy the art on the walls through the cheese-nibbling crowds. But gal leries, particularly those showing emerging artists, come and go. Gene Evans, who runs Luckystar Studio along with his wife, Bridget Griffith Evans, estimates that more than 30 galleries have opened and closed in Milwaukee since 2001. Evans lists a variety of reasons for this, but puts most of it down to business failure. “Brooks [Barrow] was here right before he shut down, and I don’t think he sold five paintings,” Evans says. “It’s hard to keep going when you’re not making any money.”
It’s also hard to attract artists to Milwaukee when they can’t sell any work. “Alot of those artists we used to show won’t show here anymore,” Evans says. “I think nationally it’s just known that this isn’t a buying town.”
GALLERIES continued on next page >>
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