Brandon Gallery closes after more than 40 years

Not many of Fallbrook's businesses or establishments have enjoyed a run like the one the Fallbrook Brandon Gallery has enjoyed.

Since the professional artists' cooperative was established in 1977 on Brandon Street in 1977, the organization has served as a window into the creative minds of artists in the community and beyond.

Founded by three Fallbrook artists – Virginia Polise, Jeanne Shanahan and Mary Tomaskevitch – the organization's motto has always been "Enriching the community through exhibitions, demonstrations and outreach."

But recently, Fallbrook Arts Inc., which has operated the gallery since 2002, was forced to close the doors.

"The closing of the Brandon Gallery was driven by safety and business issues," Jerri Patchett, president of Fallbrook Arts Inc. said. "Rain damage made the building uninhabitable and unsafe for occupancy. We have all valued the Brandon Gallery as an important member of our arts community."

Known for its diversity of art and artists, member demonstrations and workshops, the gallery has hosted at least two open-call exhibitions each year juried by some of the top artists in the region.

Prominent artists were invited to show as featured artists several times each year.

Brandon Gallery was well-known in the arts community for presenting a wide variety of media, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, pastel, photography, printmaking, textile art, collage, assemblage, drawing and digital art.

With around 30 artists in the cooperative, the gallery had been going strong in the last few years. But structural damage to the building on Main Street made continuing to keep the doors open unfeasible.

The gallery also sold consignment art from regional jewelry designers, ceramists, glass artists and fiber artists, and there was a section dedicated to the sale of artists' supplies. JP Framing, a full-service, professional framing business operated by Jennifer Paprock, was located at the gallery as well.

So far, there is no indication the gallery will move to another location.

"Regarding Brandon Gallery's future in Fallbrook, if an opportunity arises that we find suitable we would consider regrouping," Noreen Ring said in a statement.

Despite the loss of Brandon Gallery, art is not dead in Fallbrook by any means.

Fallbrook Arts Inc. is currently hosting the eighth annual Artist Guild Show at the Fallbrook Art Center, a juried guild exhibition and sale featuring more than 90 works, through June 16.

The "Five Artists, Five Visions" show featuring artists Susan Frommer, Annie Youngblood, Julie Compton, Ruth Parker and Jan Carre, inside The Rosalie and Spencer Lehmann and The Salon Galleries at the Fallbrook Art Center continues through June 18.

For more information about Fallbrook Brandon Gallery and news about the future of the gallery, visit http://www.fallbrookbrandongallery.org for updates.

For more information about Fallbrook Arts, Inc., visit http://www.fallbrookartcenter.org.

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].