The Barlow Gallery is set to open in downtown Tacoma on April 24.
The gallery will host Northwest artists in addition to those based internationally.
“Like other small businesses, art galleries struggled during the COVID pandemic, and many didn’t survive,” Gary Wagner, a landscape photographer based in Northern California whose work will be featured at the gallery, said in a release. “Artists have been used to paying for gallery memberships, wall space, or exhibitions to get their work in front of customers — but without having sophisticated marketing or internet expertise to sell online as well. Rather than spending lots of time and effort finding customers, it’s more important for artists to focus instead on creativity and the development of their art.”
The new venue is described as a “low-friction partnership without financial barriers or restrictions.” It will cost artists a small commission fee once a piece of work has sold, according to the release.
The venue will employ virtual tools designed to help both the artist and the viewers learn as much as possible about the artist and the art pieces they view, the release noted.
The Barlow Gallery will also host an online interactive platform that will provide a personal URL for each artist featured, directing people to their work and more information about the perspectives informing their output. The platform will additionally offer virtual-reality previews of installed art, and get configurable prints for different media such as metal and canvas, according to the release.
Along with its online tools, Barlow Gallery said it will take care of financial transactions and eliminate the worry of sales and marketing that could slow down a working artist.
The Barlow Gallery’s grand opening is scheduled for April 24-27; it will be open from 3-8 p.m.
Learn more about Barlow Gallery and its opening here.