By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

The mood was mildly fatal, the subject mostly grim.

A communiqué from an Off.Dauph Art Space proprietor spelled out a curtailed future for the adventurous downtown nook. The Jackson Street spot opened in 2006 to much publicity and bravura, dove headfirst into community involvement and seemed poised to fulfill heightened expectations in the nascent arts district.

Off.Dauph established an early propensity for great class and atmosphere. The ideals of the space were out front, the integrity of the artists utmost and everything about it seemed to speak of a more urbane downtown, a place we keep hearing is right around the corner.

But sometimes, you just get out ahead of yourself.

According to co-owner Tim Ellzey, Off.Dauph Art Space isn’t long for this world. Though, they’ve attracted viewers and made a bit of buzz, they just haven’t found the interested and active buyers a fine art gallery needs for survival. Ellzey’s count of the works sold in the last few months was a literal handful. People liked their shows, commented positively on the art, but never loosened their purse strings or even so much as inquired about installment plans.

Ellzey seemed gravely concerned and with good cause. The gallery has added another welcome texture to a district experiencing trouble fully igniting but much of the requisite spark is sparse in these parts.

Mobile is not replete with collectors. A good deal of the throngs at the ArtWalks are present for the happening as much as anything else, but precious few buy. Some are thwarted by economics; some by interest. At least most seem appreciative but that’s little consolation when the landlord calls.

Other locals with purchasing power often feel they must go to other markets, that geography somehow assigns additional worth to their sophistication.

As in many businesses, the success margin for galleries is slim. Though Off.Dauph stuck by their fine arts guns, other downtown galleries face similar problems in various ways. Cathedral Square, for instance, is a large collective with a sizable roster of member artists, an array of tone and taste in a large space on a main thoroughfare.

Chesser Gallery also enjoys exposure on the same central artery though their size is a portion of Cathedral Square’s. They purposefully strive to keep their shows populated with a gamut of styles and prices.

Both spaces also sell less expensive wares, jewelry and other crafts that supplement fine art sales. Cathedral Square has dabbled in food service. It all helps defray operating expenses.

The pair of spaces aren’t necessarily meeting aspirations but the doors remain open.

Another notable Dauphin Street spot, Skinny Gallery in the Mobile Arts Council offices, is but a few doors down from Chesser. An offshoot of the Arts Council, they aren’t reliant on art sales for existence, yet still get their share of buyers, selling ten pieces in the last two shows alone. Granted, the median price of those works was low due to a students’ show that measured up in terms of talent but some pieces included were still a steal.

Rumors abound among the denizens of this little district concerning false appearances and prohibitive costs for space. Some grumbled about the direction of the area, revealed fears that gentrification will blanche the district of any “funkiness.” They spoke of relocation, of the reclamation of a decaying sector of Holcombe Avenue lined with dormant storefronts.

At second glance, their discontent might actually be a good thing as it is apparently cultivated by ambition and vision. Artwalks have become so reliably packed, and Arts!Alive too, we seem poised on a cusp, another micro-manifestation of “perpetual potential.”

But maybe we’re all just a little bit “out ahead” of ourselves.

Whether discussing retail shops looking for foot traffic or realty investors attempting to artificially create a market by pricing in speculation of demand instead of actuality, people need to let things develop organically. Let the arc unfold of its own accord.

The catalyst for everything downtown, for every project alike, is an infusion of new souls into our midst. By now, we seem to have a grasp on who is willing to back up their talk with which specific action. The locals are working at capacity it seems.

We need a boost of various perspectives and motivations. We need the people who can afford to buy chic condos to start spending money in galleries, to sit on boards, to join initiatives and immerse themselves into the community.

We need to add a little something to the civic gene pool and see what mutates.

Or else getting too far “out in front” will leave the groundwork behind.

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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