Smokebrush compresses its operations

The Smokebrush Foundation is cutting its operating space by two-thirds and laying off two of its six-person staff - a move that suggests the economic downtown already is affecting the local arts scene.

"Our endowment relies on the stock market and in a severe economic downturn, we're affected," said Holly Parker, executive director of Smokebrush.

The gallery and foundation offices will remain in the same Depot Arts District building near Interstate 25 and Colorado Avenue, but its space will be cut significantly.

Smokebrush will close its main gallery, which is about 1,500 square feet. Instead, the Chapel of Art Gallery, which is about one-third that size in the same building, will house the organization's shows.

The foundation will continue with its exhibitions and events planned through January 2009 and will make the transition in February. As part of the reorganization, the foundation also is planning a new collaboration with the Pikes Peak Community Foundation at PPCF's new property near Woodland Park. Smokebrush will create and run artistic-skills programming at the center.

"Within the gallery walls, we will have less programming," Parker said. "But we should have just as much programming overall."

The majority of the budget for the Smokebrush came from its endowment, which was established in 1992 by the organization's founder, Kat Tudor.

Because of stock market losses, the foundation's endowment has shrunk more than 50 percent since 2007 - it was then valued about $1.7 million, Parker said.

The cut in the budget will help the organization to sustain itself, she said.

Smokebrush was the foundation behind Acacia Park's Uncle Wilber Fountain and has been at the center of the Depot District's First Friday Art Walks, which attract hundreds of people.

Smokebrush is not the only piece of the arts community to feel the pinch. Other local galleries, which rely on sales rather than the stock market, have reported sagging sales compared to last year.

At Gallery Two-Ten, which specializes in contemporary fine art, owner Marianne Gunter has seen a drop in sales. Her gallery has several high-end pieces, which are harder to sell when wallets are tighter. Even though the gallery offers a layaway program and financing, many customers are still opting for smaller, less costly, pieces.

Gunter has been in the retail business for the past 40 years and said there is always a drop in sales during a presidential election year.

"Sales usually start to recover about six months after the election," she said. "Too bad the election is in November, right before Christmas."

In Manitou Springs, summer is the busy season for art galleries, said Tina Riesterer, one of the six partners at the Green Horse Gallery.

"Last summer was incredible for us," she said. "This summer was down a little bit. It seems like in the summer of 2007 we sold bigger paintings and this year we've sold more medium to low items, a lot of them under $50."

Brett Andrus, owner of the Rubbish Gallery, which focuses on pieces by new and emerging artists, said that he too has seen a slight sales drop. He said he's optimistic about the economy, especially considering his day job is a mortgage broker.

"The indicators are that we obviously are in a downturn," he said. "I expect it to turn around and get better. I don't think people need to freak out."

At times like these, the need for art is even more important, he said.

"The thought is that when the economy goes down people purchase less luxury items. But when someone finds a piece that really speaks to them, they find a way to make it happen."