The Burnaby Gallery is closing at the end of the year to make way for a new retail initiative which the LOM Group is launching in 2002.

The announcement was made this week "with regret" by the Gallery's Advisory Panel.

In the two years since it opened in December, 1999 the gallery, an operating unit of LOM Properties Ltd., has become an important supporter of the local art community, and news of its impending end is being received with a mixture of disappointment and sadness among artists.

"I am obviously disappointed, and I wonder whether or not they were truly committed to the idea of a permanent gallery in the first place because they certainly didn't give it a chance to fly," professional artist and exhibitor Sharon Wilson said. "Two years is hardly enough time for any business to find its feet, and I think the decision is very disappointing.

"It is a shame they couldn't find a way to make it work because it was a great venue in terms of being in the heart of Hamilton, and its store front allowed people to see the art as they passed by. Bermuda could certainly use a gallery of a certain calibre with the kind of possibilities and accessibility that Burnaby had."

She added: "There really isn't anywhere else in Hamilton like it. I feel the gallery was a temporary use of the space until they figured out what they really wanted to do with it. As artists I feel we were taken for a ride."

Fellow professional artist and president of the Bermuda Society of Arts Manuel Palacio, on the other hand, felt that the LOM Group had made a genuine effort to have the Gallery succeed, and expressed regret that the venture had apparently failed.

"I am very, very sad that the Burnaby Gallery is closing," he said. "It was a beautiful thing for art, and I liked the whole initiative of what Barbara Lines and Debbie Harper were trying to do.

"As an artist I would like to extend to them my deepest thanks for taking that beautiful space to showcase contemporary and modern art, even if it was for just two years. I know they fought hard to keep that vibe going, and I am definitely going to miss the gallery because they were really trying to do new things."

"Putting up that space for two years was a great commitment by the LOM Group, and I am thankful that they did," he added. "I am sure they could have done more, but it takes the whole community to support art. Reaching out to a Bermudian audience is very tough. They take artists' efforts for granted, but one day they will realise we have to move on and make a living somewhere else."

In its short history the downtown Hamilton gallery has hosted more than 20 successful exhibitions, with new shows opening every four to six weeks. While exhibitors have included some overseas artists, the majority were Bermudian.

They included such well-known names as Henry Ward, Graham Foster, Sharon Wilson, Manuel Palacio, Betsy Mulderig, Maria Smith and Paul Doughty.

The Advisory Panel, consisting of gallery manager Deborah Harper, David Mitchell and Barbara Lines, was responsible for qualifying each artist's exhibition, and maintaining the high standards of professionalism and display for which the gallery became known. In fact, it was voted `Best Gallery' in this year's Best of Bermuda Gold Awards, sponsored by The Bermudian magazine.

"It has been a privilege and pleasure having the Burnaby Gallery located in our building over the last two years," managing director of the LOM Group, Scott Lines, said. "When it was opened there was little access for local artists to showcase their talents.

"We are now pleased to note that several businesses in Hamilton have followed our lead and created showcase galleries in their office buildings, and now the talents of the local artist community are well shown.

"We wish all of the artists who have exhibited at the Burnaby Gallery every success in their future endeavours, and look forward to seeing them and their supporters at the final show in November."

Reflecting on her career as gallery manager, Mrs. Harper said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed both my time here and working with the artists.

The final show opens on November 29, details of which will be announced shortly.