Friends-
Front Street Gallery was founded in 2010 with four equal partners. Pretty soon, that number will be down to just one. The reasons are mainly financial. No one really expected to make a lot of money, but the timing was particularly bad regarding the economy and what people have to spend on art.
I am not writing to tell you the gallery is closing, rather to say that I am committed to finding a way to keep it open. But I may need help. Are you an artist who would be interested in joining a coop gallery for a reasonable fee? or more simply, renting wall-space? Do you have other ideas for using an attractive storefront gallery space next to a cafe and across the Metro North, 85 minutes from the city?
We’ve had some great shows and impressive sales, but the biggest impact the gallery has made, for me and most of the people who walk in the door, has been in bringing people together. The real place Front Street has found in Patterson and Pawling is in community. This has been a sort of epiphany to me–the satisfaction of creating a space where people share ideas, art, music, and the value of culture, however you define that. The importance of community regardless of commerce. Not to say the two can’t co-exist.
The “business model” (whatever that means) may not work, but there has been a unanimous outpouring from the people who visit and come to our events that they are glad we’re here, that it is
exactly what the area needs. We want to keep it that way, and build on it.
In other words, we want to keep the gallery going. There are two parts to that: paying the rent, and the > various duties: creating and hanging shows, sitting, bookkeeping, PR and a dozen other things I can’t think of right now. I am looking for ideas and interest: artists who would like to become members, to show work, sit in the gallery or contribute in other ways. People who have ideas for using the
storefront space for events or a presence in Patterson/Pawling. Among the things we have yet to take full advantage of: our proximity to the train and NYC. Synergy with our neighbors Magnolia’s Restaurant. The use of the space as a satellite for NYC-based ventures. Expanding the co-op to more artists.
Artists, entrepreneurs, idea-people: lend me your ears. You’ll be paid back. I look forward to hearing anything that springs to mind. We are planning a meeting at the gallery sometime next month, to
coalesce and brainstorm. Let me know if you’d like to be included. Feel free to forward this letter to anyone you think would be interested.
All the best/Jeremy Wolff
front street gallery
A gallery of openings
