#EmergeSantaFe. Jeff Medinas, @jeff_medinas, #EmergeSantaFe 107, 2016, Photograph, Ed. 5
The gallery takes a bold step in laying claim to its position as Santa Fe’s preeminent showcase for serious, cutting-edge art. Its new gallery space is located within a low-key neighborhood populated by design and architect firms, artists’ studios and the hipster hangout Sweetwater Café - a far cry from the generic tourist-centric Railyard District where they resided for the past four years.
“The gallery has always been a destination for our clientele, especially for the historical abstraction from the 60s and 70s that we have presented over the years, so in some ways location was less important,” notes co-director David Eichholtz. “However, when we launched DR Projects to promote emerging artists, we realized the necessity of being closer to the creative community.”
As the only commercial gallery supporting serious, emerging local talent, the timing of the move couldn’t be more fortuitous. There is an undercurrent of creative energy that hasn’t been seen in Santa Fe for years. Whether the stars are in alignment or for other reasons, alternative spaces like Radical Abacus, groups such as Meow Wolf, Strangers Collective and the Santa Fe Collective are setting the stage for a renaissance of sorts. Add to this mix the myriad individual creative sparks in the ‘City Different’ and a paradigm shift is very much in evidence.
The new gallery has a more accessible feel to it in comparison to the aircraft hanger-like space that was their former premises. Multiple rooms allow for a flexibility of what can be shown, from large group exhibitions to discreet project spaces. “The goal was to have the ability to stream different art projects simultaneously and to host a variety of events that tie in to and support the local scene.”
The gallery’s pioneering move to 1570 Pacheco Street mirrors the organic development of creative environments in other cities in the US and Europe. The Mitte in Berlin, the East End of London and the outer boroughs of New York City began as migration points for young artists and galleries and are now firmly fixed upon the map of the art world. Whether this will happen in Santa Fe remains to be seen, but already the gallery has experienced a positive effect, as Eichholtz observes: “In the first month on Pacheco Street we had more visitors than in all of 2015.” No doubt other galleries in town will be taking note.
Howard Rutkowski, Santa Fe
David Richard Gallery 1570 Pacheco Street, A1 Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 983-9555