Bay Area Art Gallery Altman Siegel to Close After 16 Years
Altman Siegel, a prominent Bay Area art gallery known for its focus on conceptual art, will close its doors on November 22nd, citing financial challenges in a shifting art market.
Founder and director Claudia Altman-Siegel announced the closure yesterday on the gallery’s website, stating, “It is with both pride and sadness that I announce that Altman Siegel will close its doors to the public.” She explained the decision was made because it had become “too difficult for a gallery this size to scale in this climate,” and she wished to avoid compromising the gallery’s artistic standards. Established in 2009 in Union Square, the gallery moved to a 5,000-square-foot space at the Minnesota Street Project in the Dogpatch in 2016, and briefly operated a pop-up in Presidio Heights last year.
Over the past 16 years, Altman Siegel has hosted over 200 exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs, championing both emerging and established artists. The closure follows similar recent setbacks for San Francisco’s art scene, including the closures of KADIST in June and Gallery 16 after 32 years, signaling a broader struggle for arts institutions in the city. Wendi Norris, of Wendi Norris Gallery, described the news as “gut-wrenching,” adding, “There are few galleries that operate at their level in the San Francisco community, and I’m proud to call her a colleague.”
The gallery’s final exhibition, “It is not far to the sea,” featuring works by Japanese painter Shinpei Kusanagi, will run through November 15th. Minnesota Street Project officials stated they will prioritize finding another arts organization to fill the space, ensuring the continued vibrancy of the arts community within the complex; you can learn more about their mission here.
The organization is currently exploring options for a new tenant and expects to announce further details in the coming weeks.
