The staff at Southside Gallery in Oxford, Mississippi, released this statement today, Monday, March 16, 2020:
To our artists, patrons and supporters:
In order to ensure the health and welfare of the general public, Southside Gallery is canceling our artists’ reception scheduled for Friday, March 20. This decision was not made easily, as the artists and gallery depend on sales, which often are made at receptions, to keep working and stay in business. As for now, we intend to maintain normal business hours (Tuesday – Saturday, 10 – 5 & Sunday, 11 – 3).
Generally, we don’t experience large crowds on a daily basis and feel it is safe for visitors to come in the gallery and view the work on display without any threat to their health. For those who do visit us in the coming weeks, we ask that you adhere to the CDC guidelines, specifically, “social distancing” and avoid close contact with others. Our bathrooms are clean and we have soap but, due to shortages, we don’t have hand sanitizer available to our customers. Please don’t visit the gallery if you feel sick.
All of the work on display in our current exhibition will be posted on social media in the coming days. We don’t want to inundate your feed with posts, so they will come over time. If you are or have been considering purchasing art, now is the time to do it! Our artists need your support and so does the gallery. Please don’t hesitate to contact the gallery if you see a work you like on social media. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you saw something in the past while visiting the gallery. We will be happy to provide you with more images of the work, details such as dimensions, prices, etc. if you are uncomfortable getting out to see it in person. We also deliver and ship art. While at home, look at your walls, shelves and mantles. Now is an ideal time to welcome new art into your home.
Thanks again for all of your support. We remain hopeful that the measures, though they may seem drastic, we all take today will expedite stability, so things can return to normal in time for our next scheduled reception in April.
Regards,
Wil
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