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This tough economic climate has people rethinking the money they spend – even if their jobs and finances are seemingly secure. It’s between what people want and what they need and this new conservative mind-frame has them leaning a lot more towards the latter part of that equation. Unfortunately, art, home decor and boutique clothing has slipped into the “want” consciousness and has forced these retailers to rethink their way of doing business.

My friends Jason and Francesca of Gallery Soco have closed their gallery on South Congress after nine wonderful years. They were always voted in the top few, if not the very top favorite galleries in Austin year after year by Austin Chronicle readers, among others. They have been diligent about keeping their business focused equally in the virtual world as well as the physical one. Their website is always updated with new work from their large stable of artists and removed promptly following a purchase. Luckily for us, they are going to be able to maintain their business as a virtual gallery, where clients can see all the work online but can also make an appointment to view it in person before making the final decision on whether or not to make the purchase. They have also elected to keep an office space in the back of the gallery where they can continue their framing business, as the actual labor is all done off site anyway. It sounds like a perfect solution for them: they have closed their doors without really closing their doors! They can continue with their focused, knowledgeable art sales without all the time and financial constraints associated with a retail facility. www.GallerySoco.com

Another favorite establishment has closed its doors in Austin for good. AREA on Lavaca near 2^nd was a real respite for me: a favorite to browse their beautiful, hand-picked furnishings, books and home décor. My 16 year old niece would always have it at the top of her list to visit when she came to Austin and would fantasize about buying “this chair” or “that lamp” for her future home she will have in an unforeseen time frame. The good

news about AREA, however, is that they are not closing their doors forever, just the ones in Austin. The owner said she is currently shopping for the right location in Dallas hopes to reopen there sometime later in the year. I will watch for them! www.AreaAustin.com

The last great shop to close its doors and head exclusively into the virtual world is Love on 1^st Street. Cindy Hill and Ginger Leigh created a wonderful little boutique in an old bungalow-style house filled with rock-n-roll style clothing and accessories for all ages. They frequently hosted “Love on the Lawn”, an intimate musical gathering featuring the talents of many great Austin musicians including Ginger Leigh, Slim Richey Quartet and Patrice Pike. If you can’t live without their great rock inspired items, check them out online www.LoveAustinTexas.com

This weekend my friend Thomas Walker and I ventured into a gallery around the corner called Austin Art Garage. I had heard about this once or twice before but was afraid it was going to be another one of those “junk” galleries with lots of passion but not a lot of - dare I say, talent, or appeal (to me). Believe me, I love the low-brow and underground art more than just about any other but just because it is in a gallery doesn’t mean it’s good. We were delighted to discover that the vast majority of the art in A.A.G was good. Actual skill was apparently involved and most even had a message or meaning that conveyed to even the two major art snobs who had just darkened their doorway. The heart of A.A.G is their aim to showcase only local talent – and a lot of it at once so everyone gets some exposure - but also at reasonable prices, keeping it accessible to all levels of collectors. This is the kind of gallery where buyers truly love the work for just what it is, without any lame aspirations of its value down the line.

The walls are covered top to bottom in small to mid-size pieces that can be easily worked in to all sorts of locations in the home or office. Some of our favorites in the current exhibition are Graham Franciose, with an illustrators eye he reminded me of my friend Gris Grimly and his imaginative work. www.MadCreator.com (more on Gris in a future blog). Mario Jimenez Diaz and his amazing paintings that look like slightly blurred photographs, one with a bit of additional embellishment, which adds to the magic and fantasy of The Orange Patio. I have to say, my personal favorite in the entire collection was the work of Dan Grissom. His acrylic and Xerox transfers on wood panel kept grabbing me over and over again as I circled the space. I am sure we will end up with a Grissom in our collection before long. Joel Ganucheau also had some great graphic pieces, many of which had been reproduced in a charming 5” x 5” format, which could have great strength alone on a wall or several in a group, of course. I like the idea of a solitary piece though, as I feel it gives it more power and the image doesn’t get diluted. Thomas kept going back to the work of Justin Preston and Julie Isaacson, both skilled abstract painters who draw some influences from geometry and nature. Isaacson had more in the current show so I found myself returning to her work as well. I found the work of Adam Rader a real stand out. It was very similar in style to Grissom’s but instead of Xerox transfers, Rader sketches his subjects in charcoal and/or graphite. I found Grissom’s work more eye-catching but Rader’s work spoke to my soul. His images are ghostlike figures on an icy background. I could review and ramble about his work for several paragraphs I’m sure, but in the interest of holding your attention I will leave it at that for now. Check out Austin Art Garage’s site and get a preview, but if you’re in Austin please drop in and see these works in person.  www.AustinArtGarage.com