ArtsCriticATL reports on Solomon Projects and Kiang closings

Two longtime Atlanta-based art dealers talk Atlanta’s art ecology with ArtsCriticATL’s Cathy Fox

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  • JIM STAWNIAK
  • Nancy Solomon, during the 2001 renovation of her Midtown gallery

Two of Atlanta’s revered art galleries, Solomon Projects and Kiang, recently announced their intentions to close. Both galleries have been operating in the neighborhood of two decades, both have exhibited work from a storied selection of notable artists, and, it’s safe to say, that both of the eponymous dealers, Nancy Solomon and Marilyn Kiang, know the history and landscape of Atlanta’s art scene like few others.

All of that makes for a fascinating piece that Cathy Fox has put together for ArtsCriticATL.com. Avoiding the simple assertion that economic times are tough, Fox digs into conversations with Solomon, Kiang, Stuart Horodner, Alan Avery, and Jennifer Schwartz to explore the complicated ecology that shapes running a gallery in Atlanta. Kiang’s comments, which include describing the art community here as provincial, risk-averse, conservative and too accepting of mediocrity, are the sort of straight-shooting that is rarely heard in print. The whole feature, as well as the ensuing discussion in the comments, is worth your time.