Last bow for Artists' House

I'm sorry to say that I was a latecomer to reviewing Artists' House shows— I didn't discover this showcase for emerging contemporary artists until the fall of 2010 some 19 years after it opened. But having said that, I must add that I always enjoyed my visits immensely.

Artists' House usually utilized four distinct exhibit spaces, and so it was able to profile seven or eight artists in each of its past shows, and most of the artists who exhibited there worked in a more or less realist tradition, so each show served as a sort of workshop on realist art. It was a "something for everyone" approach, but it did allow a casual gallery visitor to get a sense of all the different possibilities, all the worlds of artistic vision contained within the phrase "realist art."

For this reason alone, Artists' House performed a valuable service for 22 years. And now it's shutting down— "retiring," as its directors put it.. So if you've never seen an exhibit there, this is your last chance— and it's a good one.

The gallery is currently showing a sort of homecoming exhibition of works by artists who have been its longtime affiliates. The show will be up through August 25 and is more than worth a visit.