After nearly 17 years of operation, San Francisco's Altman Siegel Gallery will permanently close its doors next month, with founder Claudia Altman-Siegel citing the current challenging art market conditions as the primary reason for the closure. The gallery, which has been a significant presence in San Francisco's art scene since 2009, announced on October 15 that it will cease operations on November 22.
In her official announcement, Altman-Siegel explained that the decision was driven by the difficulty of scaling a gallery of this size in the current market climate. "As it has become too difficult for a gallery this size to scale in this climate, I have made the incredibly tough decision to close rather than diminish either the space or the commitment to exhibit conceptually uncompromising work," she wrote. The founder noted that while the decision was made with pride, it also came with considerable sadness.
Despite the challenging circumstances leading to the closure, Altman-Siegel emphasized that the gallery's mission remained true to its core values. "While the art market can be relentless, the true heart of this project has always been ideas, community, and joy," she added in her statement.
Altman-Siegel established her namesake gallery in 2009 after relocating to the West Coast from New York, where she had spent a decade at Luhring Augustine Gallery. During her time at Luhring Augustine, she demonstrated remarkable career progression, starting as a security guard and eventually rising to the position of co-director before venturing out on her own.
Located in downtown San Francisco, Altman Siegel Gallery built a strong reputation for showcasing work by early- and mid-career artists from both the Bay Area and international locations. The gallery's impressive roster included notable artists such as Shannon Ebner, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Trevor Paglen, Koak, Grant Mooney, and Zarouhie Abdalian. The gallery was particularly known for its diverse programming that embraced both emerging art forms and traditional mediums with equal enthusiasm.
Local independent curator and writer Natasha Boas praised the gallery's unique position in the art world, telling Hyperallergic that Altman Siegel's programming placed it "in the middle of the most pressing conversations coming out of the Bay Area." Boas emphasized the gallery's irreplaceable role in the local art ecosystem, stating, "Programs such as Altman-Siegel's do not exist in our city, and perhaps may no longer exist in the art world writ large which is steeped in the transactional, and will be greatly missed."
Throughout its nearly two-decade run, the gallery navigated several expansions and relocations that allowed it to evolve with its artists and the changing art landscape. In 2016, Altman Siegel moved from its original location in the city's Financial District to the Dogpatch neighborhood. Last year, the gallery further expanded by opening a second exhibition space in Presidio Heights. According to Altman-Siegel, "Each chapter allowed the gallery to take risks, experiment, and keep pace with the evolving practices of our artists."
The gallery's impressive track record includes 213 exhibitions and participation in numerous art fairs over its operational period. For its final exhibition, the gallery will present work by Tokyo-based painter Shinpei Kusanagi, who has been showing with the gallery since it first opened. The exhibition, entitled "It is not far to the sea," opened on October 16 and is scheduled to run through November 15, exactly one week before the gallery officially ceases operations.
The art community has expressed significant sadness over the gallery's closure. San Francisco-based art advisor Lizanne Suter told Hyperallergic, "Altman Siegel Gallery will be keenly missed. Claudia and her excellent staff were completely devoted to the gallery's artists and their practices." Jessica Silverman, founder of her own namesake San Francisco gallery, also expressed regret about the closure, stating, "It is unfortunate that a gallery of this caliber is closing its doors. Claudia will remain a dear friend, and I look forward to collaborating with her in new ways."
The closure of Altman Siegel Gallery occurs amid a broader trend of gallery closures across the United States, reflecting what industry experts describe as a significant dip in the global art market. This year alone has witnessed a string of notable closures, including Blum in Los Angeles, Venus Over Manhattan in New York, and Clearing, which had locations in both cities. The trend extends internationally as well, with Almine Rech announcing earlier this month that it would be vacating its 11-year-old exhibition space in London. These closures highlight the increasing challenges facing mid-sized galleries in today's art market environment.
