The Upstairs Gallery, a longtime Ithaca art gallery, is closing, another victim of the slow economy.
Board members of the nonprofit Upstairs Gallery in the DeWitt Mall said they will close on Sat. December 26, 2009. The gallery opened 46 years ago, the first commercial art gallery in the Ithaca area. After a year and a half, the original owners were unable to continue in business, so the gallery was kept open by a group of volunteers dedicated to the ideals of supporting local artists, showing high- quality art, and reaching as many people as possible.
“The board was ready to close their doors in Oct. 2008, when they invited me to join and see if new energy could keep the organization alive,” said Laurel Guy, president of the board. “We recruited new board members James Spitznagel, Rob Costello, Werner Sun, Laura Kirsner, Lori Moseman and Margaret Strother. We created a strong slate of shows for 2009, became a mainstay of Gallery Night and gained a wonderful year of remission for the gallery.”
Unfortunately, the current recession made it fiscally impossible for the gallery to continue. The Upstairs Gallery is supported by donations and sales of art. “Art is a very discretionary sort of purchase, and we are in the worst recession arguably in the postwar era,” said Guy.
The board wishes to give sincere thanks to the artists, donors, volunteers and community; and encourages all to attend the current and final shows. Visit http://www.theupstairs.org for more detailed information.
I am sad to hear about the closing of The Upstairs Gallery. For several years when I was in the Ithaca area I would stop in to view the artwork and I attended several of the openings. I appreciated the time and effort put in by the volunteers and have faith that someday another art space can open up.
Thank you for all of your efforts !!