In a surprise move, Tribeca’s JTT gallery, known for discovering up-and-coming artists, will close at the end of next week after over a decade in business.
“It has always been our mission to exhibit visionary work and present exhibitions in which we believe without compromise, and we are so proud that this remarkable project has lasted for over a decade,” founder Jasmin T. Tsou wrote in a statement. “In that time, we mounted more than 83 shows, including many artists’ first New York solo exhibitions. We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the artists who shared their visions with us and contributed to the gallery over the years. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible.”
JTT opened in 2011 on the Lower East Side, and quickly developed a reputation for spotting rising stars with both market and critical appeal. Artists who had early exhibitions with the gallery include now-established names such as Issy Wood, Sable Elyse Smith, and Jamian Juliano-Villani.
Despite a commitment to risk-taking, JTT carved out a place for itself in the blue-chip art market. The gallery regularly exhibited at high-end fairs like Art Basel and Frieze even as it continued to push the envelope with experimental work, like a sculpture of a decaying great white shark suspended in a 13-foot-long cage by Doreen Garner, now known as King Cobra, in a recent solo show.
JTT became part of a wave of galleries relocating to Tribeca in Lower Manhattan when it moved to a larger, 8,000-square-foot space in the neighborhood in May 2022. The gallery is now suing its former landlord on Chrystie Street to get back its $28,000 security deposit, according to the .
Tsou did not cite financial difficulties as a reason for the closure, but the recent market downturn is undoubtedly a challenge for mid-size galleries.
Just a year ago, Tsou was looking to the future at the gallery’s new space. “We are going to be sustainable—that I know,” she told Artnet News. “I know what’s going on, I know my next two years, I know what artists have planned, which shows I have planned, and I’m very excited about that.”
JTT’s current exhibition, a group show titled “Playscape” featuring the work of 12 artists including Carol Bove, Sara Cwynar, Jenny Holzer, and Cauleen Smith, will now be its swan song. The gallery’s last day will be August 11.
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