"People are scared to death," Webster said this week as she bounced around the welter of what was once one of the city's premier art spaces.
"She was very brave when she did what she did, which was to open a gallery with African American art," said Libby Rosof, cofounder with Roberta Fallon of TheArtBlog.com, which chronicles art in Philadelphia. "People advised her not to do it. But she provided opportunities for people who would not have been shown. . . . I think she's heroic."
Now, Sande Webster Gallery on Walnut Street seems more like a dustbin after a heavy wind. Art is stacked against walls, papers are piled high, wads of bubble wrap are strewn everywhere. She can't find her glasses. Where's the phone?
This is what the end of a business looks like.
She's giving away old prints and frames, all kinds of art-related objects. Even art.
"The craziest thing is trying to return the work of 50 artists," she said. With a sweep of her hand, she added, "We're giving this away."
She had a couple of sidewalk sales last weekend, selling $800 and $900 prints for $25 a pop. Business was brisk; she sold out.
"We made $1,000," she crowed. "You can imagine how many we had to sell at $25 apiece." Much will be donated to a charitable organization that provides meals for those in need.
What happened? Webster, 78, a rock on the city's art landscape since before there even seemed to be an art landscape, has seen a lot.
"The last year, business has steadily declined," she said. "The interesting thing, being in business for so long, this has happened two or three times before. But it always came back after a few months. This time, it didn't come back at all."
Collectors and other clients have grown reluctant to put down substantial sums; instead, they now worry about paying their children's college tuitions. Art acquisition is on the back burner.
