Les Yeux du Monde, the Water Street art gallery owned and directed by Lyn Warren, will vacate its space on June 30. An exhibit by photographer James Nachtwey, ironically titled "The Unvanquished" and planned as part of the second annual Festival of the Photograph, will be LYDM’s last show, according to Warren.
"I definitely will do my fall shows," Warren told C-VILLE in a phone call from her home. "I have major people lined up for the fall, and I will rent a space, month-to-month, probably, to make sure they get their full dues."
Warren’s lease on the gallery, housed in developer Ludwig Kuttner’s Terraces building, runs out at the end of this summer, but she said that she plans to leave early. In response to rumors that she would rent a space at the Frank IX Building, another of Kuttner’s projects, Warren responded that she has considered the possibility, but that she is still looking at other options. Long-term, Warren and her husband hope to construct an arts space near their home on Route 20N with guidance from architect W.G. Clark.
The IX Building and The Terraces aren’t the only Kuttner connections: Kuttner’s daughter-in-law, Kim, will move her children’s clothing boutique, Petit Bébé, into LYDM’s space in July.
"Mainly, I want people to know that I’m not closing," Warren said. "I’m hoping we can get something built here by next fall season. That part I really haven’t figured out yet. But January through March are really dead months for art exhibits." In light of a few other recent changes in the local arts scene, what other gallery change-ups can we expect?
Close your eyes: Les Yeux du Monde will shut its doors at the end of June, says owner Lyn Warren.
