MUTUAL Gallery, a staple of Jamaica’s fine art scene, will close its doors at the end of this month.

According to curator Gilou Bauer, the gallery — which opened in New Kingston, St Andrew, in October 1975 — has lost the support of two longtime sponsors.

They are Mutual Life Assurance Society and AIC (Jamaica) Ltd. The latter donated the space rent free.

Their commitment has ended and the gallery is not in a position to pay rent.

Bauer said the closure will hurt artists, who have seen other galleries experience a similar fate over the years.

“It is a blow, especially for the younger generation of artists. The Mutual Gallery has been in the forefront of supporting emerging artists with two annual exhibitions: Art Fresh and the SuperPlus Under 40 Artist of the Year Competition,” she says.

Art Fresh provided a platform for budding artists, regardless of age, to show their work in a gallery setting. It was open also to artists who dropped out of production but hoped to make a fresh start.

The SuperPlus Under 40 Artist of the Year Competition was aimed at exposing new forms of expression among emerging artists.

Bauer says the gallery was in the process of planning its June 5 auction when they received notification from AIC Jamaica, and the decision was taken to close operations.

She commented on last Wednesday’s auction.

“Sadly, the auction was a reflection of the current market and although many art patrons came to the auction, only a few pieces fell under the hammer,” she said.

Auctions were previously held in 2007 and 2008.

In addition to numerous solo exhibitions, over the past 15 years, the Mutual Gallery has hosted three annual exhibitions which have generated considerable buzz.

Over the years the exhibitions showed the Art of Printmaking, the Art of Sculpture, the Art of Assemblage and Collage and the Art of Miniature.