I’m not going to bury the lead. The Matthews is closing its gallery space on Main Street. Our lease ends April 30, and we’re not renewing it.
This isn’t something we wanted. It’s something we had to do.
Over the past several years, costs to maintain a space on main street have continued to rise. At a certain point, you have to ask whether that money is better spent on the artists and programs that make the space matter in the first place.
For us, the answer is clear.
What’s not changing
Our commitment to visual arts isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Tia. Neither is the work.
We’re not cutting programs. We’re not cutting staff. We’re cutting overhead that was quietly draining resources away from the people and experiences that actually make this place what it is.
The visual arts program at The Matthews has always been about four things:
- Giving artists credible ways to show and sell their work
- Creating real encounters between our community and visual art
- Generating revenue and relationships that sustain the mission
- Strengthening our identity as an arts hub in the Black Hills
None of those require a single address with a monthly rent check.
What’s coming instead
We’re building something different. Instead of one gallery on one block, we’re turning Spearfish into our canvas. We will be working to support artists, not only by finding space for them, but also by encouraging their growth and the continuation of their creative practices.
That means curated exhibits rotating through partner venues. Art in the theater lobby, pop-up markets, workshops hosted in flexible spaces around town, and an online presence where artists can show and sell year-round.
It means the Matthews Artists Collective keeps growing. It means our Summer Art Series and Community Art Show still happens. It means you’ll run into Matthews-curated art in places you didn’t expect, not just behind one door on Main Street.
We’re trading a fixed gallery for a distributed visual arts program. Less overhead, more reach, and more of our budget going directly to artists and community experiences.
Why I’m telling you this directly
This gallery has been a meaningful part of what makes The Matthews the Matthews. Over 20 years, hundreds of artists have shown work on those walls. Thousands of people have walked through that door and encountered something that made them think or feel or stop for a minute. That matters. And we don’t take it lightly.
But holding onto a space we can’t sustain doesn’t honor that legacy. Reinvesting in the people and programs that built it does.
What you can do
Bear with us. We’re working through the details of what the new model looks like, and we’ll share more as it takes shape. If you’re an artist, a partner, a business owner, or someone who just gives a damn about visual art in Spearfish, we want to hear from you.
This isn’t the end of visual arts at The Matthews. It’s a pivot. And if we do it right, it’ll be better than what we’re leaving behind.
Heath
