The gallery will be bidding adieu to the Pacific Northwest Credit: Courtesy Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
The gallery will be bidding adieu to the Pacific Northwest
The gallery will be bidding adieu to the Pacific Northwest Courtesy Mariane Ibrahim Gallery

After seven years in Seattle, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is packing up their bags (er…white cube) and moving to Chicago. The internationally renowned gallery will be closing officially on Feb. 28. In a statement on their Instagram last week, they said that they will be opening their new flagship location later in the year with a “strong focus on international growth.” In the time between the closing and re-opening, the gallery will be operating remotely.

Mariane Ibrahim Gallery was a very distinct and distinguished presence in the Seattle art scene. Run by the eponymous Mariane Ibrahim-Lenhardt, the gallery mainly focused on contemporary art made by African artists from around the world. In the past few months here in Seattle, they’ve shown Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai and South African artist Alexandra Karakashian. The gallerist—who grew up in both Somalia and France—is also a huge player in global art fairs, taking home the first Presents Booth Prize at New York’s Armory Show in 2017 for showing the work of German-Ghanian artist Zohra Opoku.

There will be a closing party on February 28th at the gallery from 7 pm – 9 pm. Come by and say goodbye!

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Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is closing its Seattle space after seven wonderful years in the Pacific Northwest. The gallery is relocating to Chicago and will open its flagship location later in 2019, with a strong focus on international growth. While we are excited to embrace the new challenges of a new home base, we will always deeply cherish our time in Seattle. The Emerald City provided fertile environs for the gallery to grow organically and to develop our own distinctive artistic voice and vision. Our artists, hailing from across the globe, loved visiting and finding revitalized freedom and inspiration in this burgeoning art community, so far from the commercial epicenters of the art industry. We were always touched by the spirit of generosity and hospitality shown by so many, from the leaders of Seattle’s art institutions to the local arts media, to collectors, and enthusiasts. Mariane Ibrahim will close its Seattle location permanently on Feb 28. The gallery will continue to operate remotely during this transition in Seattle while we plan the opening of Chicago flagship location later this year. Goodbye Seattle. Hello Chicago. #seattle #chicago #artgallery Check the feature on @artnews. Link in bio

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Jas Keimig is a former staff writer at The Stranger, where they covered visual art, film, stickers, and culture.