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The sad news broke at last night's opening reception for Lombardi's current show, their annual Xmas Expo. Prince debuted a collage informatively titled "The Gallery Will Close in January". The celebration of the last show went on as scheduled and featured music by Coma in Algiers and Leila Bela among others. As is typical of Gallery Lombardi openings, the space was packed to overflowing and art appreciators spilled out into the gallery's parking lot.
Gallery Lombardi's final show, the Xmas Expo, will be on view until January 10th. After the gallery's closure, Ron Prince will continue his career as a custom woodworker and Rachel Koper will be looking for employment in downtown Austin (hopefully she's planning to still be involved in the uneasy world of the art business). According to Koper, the gallery space is currently for lease.
The Austin art scene will definitely feel the effects of Gallery Lombardi's closing. The space has been one of the most prolific art venues in town, hosting events and new shows almost monthly for years. Although they've hosted traveling exhibitions in the past, GL has been particularly supportive of local and Texas artists. They served as a venue for the 2005 Texas Biennial and were scheduled to be a part of the 2009 event.
To take us out on a positive note, we turn to Prince and Koper. Despite the setback, Prince still believes that "If you are a creative person, and you have an opportunity to be creative, consider yourself blessed. The rest is window dressing." And Koper says of her experiences that she has "so many good memories of this creative community" and that "it's been a dream come true and a learning opportunity" for her.
Gallery Lombardi, thanks for all the great shows, you will be missed!
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This is a big loss, especially for emerging artists. Not many venue's in town show the breadth of work and provide an opportunity for the same number of artists to show their work. Lombardi created an inclusive and accepting environment for people to exhibit and feel accepted into a creative community.
"If you are a creative person, and you have an opportunity to be creative, consider yourself blessed. The rest is window dressing."
i feel sad about lombardi's closing.
thanks for that beautiful point.
I went to a few shows there and they usually had the same art on the walls. I loved their parties, they're a lot of fun, but they didn't seem to draw too many high dollar or serious art collectors.