Brigham Galleries in process of closing
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Successful people seem to have a knack for knowing how to stay successful by making changes to the way they do business according to market trends. Sara Boyce is one of those people.

Boyce opened The Brigham Galleries on the second floor of 50 Main St. five years ago and steadily built her reputation as a knowledgeable art dealer with a devoted clientele.

The problem with that address was that it was small with no storage area and inconvenient for some patrons because of its steep flight of stairs. Boyce began looking around and found a space at 54 Centre St. she thought would be ideal. Her family purchased the spacious former residence, and two years ago she opened The Brigham Galleries in the new location.

At the same time, however, the economy shifted into a downturn. Business started lagging in nearly every sector, and the art world did not escape the pattern. In view of that trend and future predictions, Boyce decided to take a different tack. Though Boyce will remain in the art field, the Centre Street building is on the market and she will not reopen the gallery for the upcoming season.

"I am in the process of closing and transitioning to consulting with art collectors, not being as tied to a location," said Boyce, who named a few reasons for her decision. "It is really a six-week season; for art buyers the bulk of sales happen in August and early September. This past year wasn't that great. It's the economy, but it's a little scary. It's not just Nantucket and it's not looking good for next year, so I can take my experience and what I've built and expand it off-island because I am very interested in the international market."

Boyce said that while she intends to retain her connection with Nantucket, her new focus will be on working with art dealers to learn what is available and then pass the information and guidance on to her patrons.

"The majority of the work I'm carrying is from artists living around the world," she said. "What inspires them is very different than what inspires people living in Massachusetts. So many influences affect what the artist chooses to create."

Boyce is currently returning some unsold pieces to the artists as well as finding that clients knowing of her upcoming plans are buying now while the inventory is still intact. Change can possess an unsettling factor about what is coming next, but Boyce knows the art world is where she thrives and has no intention of severing that tie.

"I am going to stay in the field. It is fascinating to me, and it's inspirational when you can make a connection between this art that someone has brought to life and [another] person," she said. "I started from scratch - I didn't buy a gallery. It had just been a passion and I brought it to being in competition with some of the best galleries in the country. So now we will just take it a little bit further."

The Brigham Galleries is still open with limited weekend

hours or by appointment. I