CHELSEA — Wallspace Gallery is closing its doors next month after more than 12 years in the neighborhood, an owner said.
Co-founder Janine Foeller decided to close her gallery at 619 W. 27th St. on Aug. 7 because they were looking to move to a bigger space once their current lease expires in November, but they couldn't find one they could afford, she said.
“I think it was a lot of different circumstances, but the main one is the financial reality of what it means to be a mid-level gallery in this climate,” Foeller said. “The lease is up. It’s virtually impossible for us to find a space that we could both grow in and quite frankly afford. It’s just been very, very difficult."
The gallery is set to shutter after its last exhibit, called Deborah Remington 1963-1983, which features surreal paintings and drawings of floating shield-like shapes, according to a press release.
Foeller and Jane Hait founded the gallery in 2003, a few blocks south of Hudson Yards, and have showcased multiple artists over the years as the neighborhood around them has grown and changed.
They’ve showcased artists in all types of media that focus on ideas and stimulating conversations.
“We’re not necessarily following market trends,” Foeller said. “It’s a real struggle for galleries our size to put forth the work we believe in.”
Wallspace grew after Foeller abandoned a doctoral program in art history and Hait left a master's in fine arts.
“We both decided those were not the paths we wanted to take,” Foeller said.
Both plan to stay a part of the art community after the gallery closes, she added.
“We feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with such fantastic artists and writers, curators and collectors, all these relationships have meant so much to us,” Foeller said. “While we are saddened by having to close, we do look forward to the next chapter.”
