The young MFA reign in art galleries is over!

Since the uber-success seen by art stars Dana Schutz and Jules de Balincourt and very few others, many galleries have bet the bank on a whole collective of new, unknown, MFA toting artists from the top art schools and colleges with no track record nor experience.

In a recent article in the New York Times,  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/arts/d…] “How Soon Is Now?,” Roberta Smith suggests that there is no point in spending time on “professional development” or learning how to advance one’s work in the marketplace if artistic development is not well under way…. Aspiring artists need to expose themselves to the sheer intensity and variety of art, to learn what they love, what they hate and if they are actually artists at all.  Smith said most of these kids should go and ask for their money back. Many of these artists feel they are doing original work when in fact it is nothing more than a rehash of things any decent artist understands in historical context.

With the closure of Clementine Gallery in Chelsea, to the rash of other galleries in dire straights at the moment, so many have bet the farm on these young artists putting their galleries in jeopardy. Many felt so strongly that they risked too much for way too little. Galleries are beginning to realize that art like any other field should be about selecting artists who are not “one-hit wonders” but stable, responsible and dependable artists who have experience too. Temperance takes an amount of time. Artists with proven track records are tempered and understand the responsibility to their galleries. They know this is a two-way street. It’s time for galleries to be more responsible to their collectors and exhibit artists with more proven track records. Running an art gallery should be serious. It is definitely hard work and with diligence it pays off.  What are your thoughts?