Gerald Peters Gallery, a longtime leader on the visual art scene, will close its Dallas gallery at the end of February — another victim of the economy. The departure of gallery director Ashley Tatum also was a factor, according to a press release issued Tuesday. The Gerald Peters galleries in Santa Fe and New York will remain open.

The complete release:

The Gerald Peters Gallery in Dallas will close at the end of February after 23 years as the region’s most successful and high profile art gallery. Owner Gerald Peters, who also owns namesake galleries in New York City and Santa Fe, decided to end the long run of the Dallas gallery after taking a hard look at the current economy and when longtime gallery Director, Ashley Tatum, decided to take a position with a new art consulting company coming to Dallas.

Beginning February 2nd, Ms. Tatum will become Senior Associate of the Dallas office of Carey Ellis Art Advisory Services, an art consulting firm based in Washington D.C. Gerald Peters said that “Ashley has been the face, heart and soul of the Dallas gallery. Her departure leaves a tremendous void. No one knows the Dallas art market and the gallery’s artists like Ashley. We wish her success in her new endeavor. She is irreplaceable, so we decided to take a new direction as well.”

Mr. Peters opened the Dallas gallery in 1986 at The Crescent, then later moved the gallery to nearby Fairmount St., closer to other galleries. In 1999, Mr. Peters and then-partner Ted Pillsbury changed the name to Pillsbury & Peters Fine Art and tripled the exhibition space. The two art experts parted a few years later and the gallery name returned to the original. Just over a year ago, the gallery moved to an even larger location on Dragon Street in the Dallas Design District. Ms. Tatum joined Gerald Peters Gallery in 2001, first serving as registrar, later as sales associate and then Director. She cultivated the artists’ repertoire, curated over 40 exhibitions and has sold nearly $10 million in twentieth century and contemporary art.

Throughout its history in Dallas, Gerald Peters Gallery has represented and exhibited works of exceptional quality from both American and European Masters, and a variety of contemporary artists with regional, national and international acclaim. The gallery maintains the highest reputation among museums, collectors and art galleries worldwide with an established presence in the secondary market, specializing in early American Modernism, Southwest schools and 20th century Modern masters.

The gallery will remain open through February 14. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm for viewing of the current exhibition, Tony Foster: Searching for a Bigger Subject. Starting on February 15, the gallery will be open by appointment only until the end of the month, when it will close its doors. After the Gallery closes, clients may contact the Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, 505-954-5700 or Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, 212.628.9760. For more information about the future of the real estate at 1019 Dragon St., please contact Newt Walker Company at 214.720.2233 or [email protected].

Gerald Peters Gallery in Dallas is located at 1019 Dragon St., Dallas, Texas 75207. For more information, please seek www.gpgallery.com.

Image courtesy Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas