MorYork Closing Down, Cites Looming Gallery Night Fees

Citing an inability to pay potential fees sought by Councilman José Huizar's office, Owner Clare Graham announced through his blog on Thursday that the gallery would no longer participate in Second Saturday Gallery Night.

From the MorYork Blog

"The NELA Second Saturday Artwalk has been in operation for about five years. We have operated as a grass roots, unfunded, volunteer organization. There is no way to monetize the event nor a way to assess the participating galleries a percentage of the looming significant costs that will be assigned by the city for services.
With legal liability a serious issue, MorYork will close at the end of 2011. All shows scheduled in 2012 and henceforth are hereby canceled.
I am deeply sorry that our commitments cannot be fulfilled."

Josef Bray-Ali, who owns the in Highland Park and runs the Spoke'n'Art Gallery Night Ride, said numerous gallery owners were contacted by Councilman Huizar's office regarding new fees to help cover costs associated with NELA Art's Second Saturday Gallery Night.

"Huizar's office called a bunch of NELA art people and threatend them with 'charges for services,'" Bray-Ali said. "It is all vague stuff. His office is just spreading the hate right now. What 'costs' and 'liabilities' would they dare to foist on these galleries?"

Zenay Loera, a field deputy for Huizar, said no fees had been threatened, and that had the Councilman's office had called gallery owners to inquire about how they could "enhance" Gallery Night.

"I think our messages have been taken way out of context," Loera said. "We called because we wanted to see how we could enhance gallery night.  To see if city services could pick up trash, or provide extra parking spaces for bikers. I've been on the phone all morning and there's certainly a disconnect."

Bray-Ali said Huizar's office should be "ashamed" of the manner in which they approached gallery owners.

"His office just scared the hell out of some of the biggest cultural and economic boosters in the region," Bray-Ali said. "They work free of charge and have brought our community up from the [gutter] of "gang problem" news reporting. They called these folks up talking about trash pickup, legal liability, and police. What is that going to do but scare people away? And they did."