{9} the Gallery is working to raise $3,000 through a crowd funding campaign and fundraiser Wednesday night, after a tough financial situation has threatened to close the gallery.
Owner Laura Dragon said her landlord claimed she was 295 days late in her rent, and the fees were accumulating since March. She said she knew she was a little late in rent, but was not notified the landlord was incurring fees since March. The $3,000 she hopes to raise would go toward the $2950 in late fees, along with legal fees.
“Things are tight on Grand Avenue. We struggle over here,” Dragon said. “That’s just the nature of the business of Grand Avenue right now. Some months I have great success — I’ve had sold-out shows — I’ve done really well at times. But then there have been other times when I haven’t sold art.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help raise money, and a fundraiser will take place on Wednesday evening.
Dragon said she is concerned about the gallery because she has commitments to other community members who use the space for events.
“I did not open {9} the Gallery to make a ton of money,” Dragon said. “It was never my delusion that I was going to become some six-figure art mogul on Grand Avenue.”
Beatrice Moore, a board member of the Grand Avenue Members Association, said many businesses have struggled to remain open on Grand Avenue because they do not understand the clientele of the area or what will sustain the business, like proper signage or affordable price ranges.
“Grand Avenue is a very particular kind of street and people have to understand what they’re getting into,” Moore said.
Moore said she has noticed {9} the Gallery has offered an array of activities and attracts many people, but the changing arts scene has been hard on businesses.
“People don’t frequent retail shops like they used to, or even galleries,” Moore said. “Now there’s so much available online that it makes it challenging, and people have to multitask, and they certainly do at {9}, they do a lot of things there.”
Jon Wassom, an artist who has regularly displayed his work at {9} the Gallery for the past few years, said the gallery was a major reason he was able to return to creating art after he sobered up from drug use.
“It’s done so much for me and I know it has for so many other people, and Laura’s so passionate about her gallery,” Wassom said. “It’s such a big part in her life and I know that she wants it open for other people. You never know who’s going to go through there and have the opportunity like I had. I owe so much of my success now to {9} the Gallery. It’s been a gift from God, pretty much.”
Wassom said after he stopped using drugs after a period of use lasting nearly six years, it was difficult for him to create art. But he said it was when he became involved with {9} the Gallery that he was able to create art again.
“I was really nervous about kind of showing work again, because it had been so long,” he said. “It was like creating a new name for myself and they let me show at their gallery. It’s been an amazing experience to be given that experience from her, given the opportunity to show my art again being where I’m at today. And being given the opportunity to have a healing experience being able to share my art with the world.”
The fundraiser will take place Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and feature a silent auction, DJ and poetry readings. Dragon said several artists have donated pieces for the auction.
“Hopefully it won’t be a closing party,” Dragon said. “Hopefully it’ll be a ‘thank God we’re staying open’ party.”
Sarah Jarvis contributed to this article.
Contact the reporters at pkunthar@asu.edu and sajarvis@asu.edu
