Acceleration has now become a primary factor in the changing landscape of the art world. It has brought about a kind of sudden, unanticipated death that has not only stopped growth, but also triggered the disappearance of art from so many of its usual settings. In a glimpse of an eye, Art’s natural habitat has been compacted, downgraded, damaged beyond recognition.

The apparently firm, unyielding bedrock on which our feet rested has crumbled, disintegrated in a matter of months. Artists, galleries, even larger institutions are trying to claw their way up from the edge of the precipice and the success of their efforts has been mixed at best. We are no longer contending with the natural ebb and flow of a fragile ecosystem in which all players (artists, collectors, gallery owners, critics) are bound to each other to achieve balance, renewal and continuity. Instead, this is the scorched aftermath of the economic meteorite impact. A free for all, big fish eats small fish scenario.

Adaptation is now the new black. Artists lower their prices in an attempt to move their work. Galleries recalibrate their exhibition schedules and the type and amount of work that they can circulate. Strategic adjustments such as lower commission rates, payment plans, reduced hours of operation have sprouted from the burnt soil, but it is still very early to judge whether they will ensure survival or

The most infrequent species of all, the collector, has now practically vanished from the landscape. There are sightings every so often, but the great majority of people that now visit galleries belong to a very distinct variety of reticent consumer, the kind that scurries, no questions asked, and leaves as indistinctly as it arrived.

Many factors will determine the return of a thriving environment in the art business. Some of them, such as the economic recovery of the country at large, are out of our immediate control. However, there are areas that we can bolster from the ground up by engaging everyone involved (buyers, gallery owners, artists, framers) in a more cohesive, flexible and united effort to restore the art scene in Albuquerque. The strategies are simple, yet sometimes counterintuitive: lower your prices, advertise wisely, moderate your commissions, encourage collaboration with the artists, direct prospective buyers to other galleries and art venues, insist on quality of product, diversify your offering and improve affordability through payment plans. These are not magic wands, but rather the seeds to a more fertile market in the near future.