C. Grimaldis Gallery, after 48 years of continuous operation in Mount Vernon, will close at the end of the year.
Owner and founder Constantine Grimaldis said Friday the building that houses the gallery at 523 N. Charles St. was made for sale by the owner, the Theosophical Society in Maryland. The last day of operation will be Dec. 31.
It’s a bittersweet moment for the 82-year-old, who will transition the gallery to a largely online presence through its website.
“I’m proud of making almost five decades,” Grimaldis said.
He also plans to continue to be a resource to collectors, curators and museums as a gallerist who facilitates sales.
Over the decades, C. Grimaldis Gallery cemented itself as a significant space for modern and contemporary art, giving Baltimore the opportunity to see works by local, national and international artists, some of whom became titans.
Artists who’ve had notable solo exhibitions at the gallery include Alice Neel, Willem de Kooning, Elaine de Kooning, Sir Anthony Caro, Raoul Middleman, John Waters, Grace Hartigan and Eugene Leake.
The gallery also represents 30 artists based in Baltimore and beyond, including Waters, Chul Hyun Ahn and Cheryl Goldsleger. Grimaldis said he will continue representing some of the artists.
Asma Naeem, the Baltimore Museum of Art director, called the “peerless” Grimaldis a “treasure to Baltimore, the state of Maryland and to the artistic community writ large.”
“He has deftly, and I should say radically, presented artists and artwork that otherwise would never have been shown here in Baltimore,” Naeem said. “He is one of the most respected gallerists in this city.”
In 1986, Grimaldis moved the gallery — which opened inside a rowhouse at 928 N. Charles St. in 1977 — to its current home. He also ran a space for large-scale sculptures at 1006 Morton St. from 1990-93.
After nearly 50 years, C. Grimaldis Gallery will close in Mount Vernon on Dec. 31. (Wesley Case/The Banner)
“When people asked me about what was going on in Baltimore when I first started, the word was it was a wasteland” for visual arts, Grimaldis said. “Today, there are other galleries, some wonderful places.”
Naeem, who grew up here, said the gallery’s closure is a major loss.
“I cannot emphasize enough what a hole it will be not to have his physical standing gallery anymore,” she said.
C. Grimaldis Gallery’s final exhibit, “The Last Picture Show,” is on display to the public until Nov. 10. (Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday or by appointment.) The news arrives as the city says goodbye to another gallery. Night Owl Gallery in Station North hosted its final event Friday ahead of closing at the end of the month.
After announcing the pending closure in an email to supporters, Grimaldis said, he’s received “some incredible reactions.”
“I’m humbled. And I’m not particularly humble,” he said with a smile.