One of the city's premier art galleries, Area 61 Gallery, have announced that they will be closing their doors at the end of the year.
"With thoughtful consideration and heavy hearts, we have decided not to renew our lease in 2025," said gallery owners Keeli and David Crewe. "Announcing this is difficult, as many of you attend every First Friday open house event or make it a point to stop in to see what’s new whenever you are in Chattanooga. We have been enriched so much more than business revenue by your relationships and shared appreciation of fine art, craft and the artists that create it."
The Crewe's explained that the reason for closing is primarily financial.
"Although foot traffic, appreciation and sales of local artists’ work in our current central downtown location -- among the luxury, business and convention hotels -- have doubled from our original Southside location, the rent and ancillary leasing costs in this district are higher and unsustainable financially, at least for us."
The Crewe's broke the news to their gallery artists at the end of 2023 and wanted to get the word out to the public sooner rather than later.
"Many times when a local business closes, I am astonished and wished I had more time to revisit them before the closing date, Keeli said. "I’m hoping with the extra notice that you will continue to stop in, browse, shop whenever in town and attend every open house, art demo and pop-up event we have with our artists until the end of the year. I am hopeful that they will all have the best sales to date in the next ten months as part of our gallery artist family."
Keeli wrote a longer blog post about their local small arts business experience and published it on their website for those interested in the economics that challenge endeavors like Area 61 Gallery. You can check it out here.
Area 61 Gallery is located at 721 Broad Street, Suite 100 (black awning left of the Tivoli Theatre). Learn more online at area61gallery.com