Six months after leaving Charles Street for Mill Centre, art gallery owner Constantine Grimaldis reflects on his past and future. Grimaldis, who has been in the business for 48 years, shares his thoughts on the challenges of running a gallery in Baltimore, the changing art world, and his plans for the relocated gallery at the Mill Centre.
Grimaldis, 84, recently took a break from his work at the gallery to talk about his days on Charles Street and his plans for the relocated gallery at the Mill Centre. The interview has been edited and condensed.
Why did you move?
I moved because the owner of the Charles Street building, the Theosophical Society, decided to sell and asked me to vacate the premises. They gave me six months.
It wasn’t your choice?
It wasn’t my choice, no. The space I now occupy at the Mill Centre was previously a design studio, and I’m sharing it with Amy Raehse’s Goya Contemporary Gallery.
How does the amount of space you have now compare with what you had on Charles Street?
It’s less than a third of what I had on Charles Street. I came down from about 1700 square feet to about 450 square feet.
Can you have exhibitions here?
No, I cannot. I don’t have the space to do exhibitions. If I do an exhibition, it will be a very small exhibition.
What made you decide to move to the Mill Centre?
I want to go back to Charles Street, a little bit. Charles Street, our block of Charles Street, was a gem of a block. It’s going to hell. Nobody cares.
What are some of the highlights of your years on Charles Street?
Grace Hartigan, Anthony Caro, Alice Neel, Elaine de Kooning and Bill de Kooning, Bud Leake, Eugene Leake, and many others. These artists helped put Baltimore on the map in the art world.
Are you changing what you represent in any way, by moving to the Mill Centre?
No, I’m the same. I’m representing the same people. We’re going to be doing what you see around you – presenting examples of work by a variety of artists from our inventory or from other artists who want to have a presence at the gallery.
What does a city lose when a gallery closes?
A part of its cultural life. It isn’t just about an exhibition. It’s about the people who come to see it. It’s about the discussions people who come to the gallery have about that exhibition. There have been some very serious exhibitions, especially in the olden days when there was also print coverage by mainstream newspapers.
What would you like people to take away from this interview?
I’d like to put forth the idea that, I don’t know for how long, but I’m still alive and I’m still going. I’m still here and our artists are still here. I’m in the game.
