Mercury Art Director Mark Searcy, whose work is currently showing at Quality Pictures Contemporary, just forwarded me an email he received from Chas Bowie, former Mercury arts editor who has been working at Quality Pictures for some time now:
“It kills me to say this, but I just learned that Quality Pictures is closing in one week. Obviously, this is a terrible time to be in the gallery business, and I knew that QPCA needed to turn a huge financial corner if it were to survive, but there was no indication that the end would be this abrupt. Erik has said that next Saturday will be the gallery’s final day in business. He is notifying gallery artists tonight.”
The O confirms it here.
This closure is a shame. Erik brought an eye here we needed (who says an ex-accountant from Atlanta doesn’t have a lot to add to Portland – he truly did) and provided an outlet for new approaches to photography. Quality Pictures will be missed.
This is a shame. Erik and his gallery gave to PDX what is so desperately lacked – a fine art gallery showcasing photography…and he did you with a client-service and focus, artist-supporting energy like no one else in our city. Sadly this seems to symbolize the art death-knell so long in the making, because PDX has as many arts well-wishers as it does wonderful artists…but no one to actually buy the art they cheer for and are proud to live around. Step-up!, Portland, and start buying local art before all our great artists are forced, as Erik, to vacate our city! Good luck, Erik…we miss you already!