Bloomington art gallery to relocate to Nashville

Gallery North is moving east.

After nine years of exhibiting and selling the work of local artists, the gallery is leaving its current location on the square in downtown Bloomington to move to a smaller space in Nashville, Ind.

“A great opportunity presented itself down there, and we took it,” said Tom Duffy, who will become president of the co-op after the move. “We’re excited to be a part of the good, vibrant arts community in Nashville.”

Saturday will be the gallery’s last day in Bloomington, and the co-op will reopen March 10 as Gallery North Nashville.

Co-founder and artist Cheryl Duckworth said Nashville will offer the artists access to a new community, but she also said the move was ultimately a financial decision.
“When we first started, each artist was paying around $50 a month for rent,” Duckworth said. “But rent just increased, and we’re paying $100 to $120 a month now.”

Duckworth said when the art in the gallery isn’t selling because of the economy, gallery rent is too high for most artists.

In some cases, Duckworth said, the rent adds up to nearly $12,000 a year in losses.
Gallery space in Nashville will be about half the size of the current space but is still significantly cheaper, Duffy said.

“I’m sad to see that it didn’t work out in Bloomington,” Duckworth said. “But Nashville is more of a tourist town. While six people might visit Gallery North on a given Wednesday, 100 people would visit the same gallery if it were in Nashville.”

Glenn Carter, a metal sculptor and member of the co-op, said in the eight years he has been with Gallery North, he has noticed fine art sells better in Nashville.

“It’s become apparent during that time that people go to Nashville to spend their money on fine art instead of Bloomington,” he said. “I don’t know why that is, but people who have made a move to galleries in Nashville have all reported that their sales have increased dramatically since they made the move.”

Duffy said 12 artists are on board for the move to Nashville, but the gallery is still hoping for a few more,  particularly artists specializing in 2-D and 3-D work.

“It has been a joy for Gallery North to have such a fabulous array of talented artists and loyal, knowledgeable clients, many of whom have been present from the gallery’s genesis,” Duffy said.

“Depending on the economy and how well we do, we may return to Bloomington to establish a presence in both Nashville and Bloomington.”

Although Carter will maintain his residence and studio in Bloomington, he will also move his work to the new gallery in Nashville.

“It’s just sad that there doesn’t seem to be more of a public support for fine arts in Bloomington, or at least that it’s so difficult for artists to market their work here,” Carter said. “But I’ve appreciated being part of the community and the support that we do receive.”