Another pandemic casualty: Sacramento’s JayJay art gallery closing with final hurrah
The coronavirus pandemic has hit many Sacramento businesses hard, but the fine-art world has been particularly crunched.
ArtSpace 1616 closed earlier this year; in mid-May, JayJay art gallery will close after more than 20 years in the Sacramento art scene. The move leaves a hole in the commercial art scene, as everything from street art, social media and internet art sales fill the void once filled by knowledgeable local vendors.
Co-founders Beth Jones and Lynda Jolley said JayJay’s legacy was providing smart insight into the art world for buyers curious about where to invest.
“We showed not what we thought would sell, we showed what we loved ourselves,” Jones said. “In other words, we had good or interesting taste and we would like to pass that on to other people.”
The East Sacramento gallery is having one last hurrah in May, with a sale of JayJay’s vast inventory starting Monday, May 3. The sale is by appointment only; email beth@jayjayart.com or lynda@jayjayart.com to set up a time slot.
There will also be a party at JayJay from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 15 with drinks and music.
The gallery served as an outlet for many California artists since it opened in 2000 in its first location on Franklin Boulevard. Jones and Jolley vetted artists by asking about their education, often working with people who’d earned a master’s degree in fine arts. That kind of curation is not the way the art world is trending.
“We have always felt the gallery system was a great thing because it gave credibility to artists,” Jones said. “And with social media, it’s every man for himself. … It’s changed even the whole imagery of what art is all about. And I’m not saying that’s bad but it’s very different from 30 years ago.”
Both co-founders said they are proud of JayJay’s legacy, including the 2018 “Monumental” show, which featured giant works of art. The show wasn’t aimed at selling pieces, but rather showing art for art’s sake.
As the art world is reshaped by electronic changes (non-fungible token art sales are netting tens of millions of dollars a day) and social media, the place of the contemporary art gallery is very much in question.
“I think moving forward there is momentum for maybe not exactly what we’ve done in the past but for alternative things,” Jolley said. “My first gallery was very alternative. I see that industry completely capable of thriving.”
“I feel like a grandma ready to let the youngsters give it a whirl,” she added with a laugh.
Celebrate the JayJay
The JayJay’s final sale will begin Monday, May 3 and runs through May 14. On May 15, the gallery will host a party from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery is at 5524 B Elvas Ave. Visit www.jayjayart.com for more information.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 7:24 AM.