It is the end of an era. Gallery 201 has closed its doors after 20 years of art, music, dance, poetry, artisans, and so much more.
During the 20th anniversary celebration and Gayle Aker Rodriguez’s birthday bash, held concurrently at Gallery 201 on Friday, January 31, she announced, “This is the last day Gallery 201 will be open.”
The announcement was bittersweet to say the least. Guests shared stories about moments they experienced in the gallery and about Gayle, gallerist, and how she supported their personal efforts.
Gayle and Gallery 201 will be remembered for Gayle’s willingness to work with trusted organizations like Cultivarte, the Laredo Film Society, and the Border Slam Poets who staged their exhibits or performance events there. She would pencil events into her gallery calendar and then coordinate a time to hand the keys over saying, “The space is yours for the next month.” Who does that?
The Laredo arts community has lost not only a gallery, but a crucial space of art, a defining cultural space in Laredo. Spaces of art are important because they provide a platform for expression. Cultural spaces foster belonging and artistic development and allow its users to preserve and share a community’s culture and identity.
One can only hope our community will see more spaces of art in the near future.
Gallery 201, you will be missed.
