The Easel

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Gallery Sector

Dismal news from the art world’s most authoritative score keeper. In the first half of 2020, gallery sales fell a whopping 36%. Further falls are expected and a 2021 recovery is a toss-up. Having to restrict visitor numbers, galleries are cutting back on staff, art fairs, splashy openings and lavish dinners. One New York gallery, after a recent opening, “invited anyone who attended to go to a nearby park for tacos.”