Fecal Face Dot Gallery will close following the conclusion of its Mike Giant show — which opens tonight. The gallery's final day open to the public is set for February 26.
"Yes, we are closing and there isn't much more to say," responded gallery spokesperson Rachel Ralph when contacted by SFist. "We are closing because we can not afford to continue to conduct business."
Gallery founder John Trippe further explained the decision in an email to SFist.
"Rachel, who’s been running the gallery for the last year, has another full-time job and as well I do," noted Trippe. "Running a gallery takes a lot of work, obviously, and our lease is up.; We really can’t imagine that our landlord would rent it to us at the rate they were charging us. The market is just so fired up right now."
"Basically," he continued, "the lease is up. We assessed our situations and decided to put the gallery on ice for some time."
An Instagram post last week gave thanks to everyone who has supported the gallery.
"We've had a wonderful run here and we we would like to thank all of the incredible artists, art lovers, collectors and buyers who have supported us over the years," reads the post. "We held some very exciting shows of which we are very proud and enjoyed the opportunity to do so. We feel very fortunate to have had a place in this creative community and appreciate all of those who supported our efforts."
There is, however, a dash of hope that Fecal Face Dot Gallery may return at some future time — albeit not in the Mission Street location.
"I’m 100% certain that it will popup in another space in the future," explained Trippe. "We just need to take a breather and take a break for awhile."
The Mission Street art gallery first opened after a 2011 fire destroyed the original Fillmore location (along with the gallery's neighbor, Three Twins Ice Cream). The gallery came about a decade after Trippe founded the skateboarding-influenced arts website FecalFace.com, which he also wound down last fall.
Related: Fecal Face Dot Gallery Reopens Tomorrow in Inner Richmond