If bygone galleries were given funereal services, Bellwether would deserve a sweeping procession down Tenth Avenue. For over ten years, the gallery has been a hallmark of the city’s art scene; as others have come and gone, Bellwether has endured trends and trepidations, from the artists’ rise in Williamsburg to the galleries’ exodus to Chelsea. Now, as the art market undergoes yet another shift, this one constrictive rather than migratory, the gallery is closing its doors for the foreseeable future. Cineres cineribus, pulverem pulveri.

Becky Smith, the gallery’s stalwart owner, promises that Bellwether’s shuttering need not mark the end. In a recent email to patrons, Becky remarks: “I will continue to represent the gallery’s artists privately and I am working on several shows with them in a Bellwether-at-large capacity. Details to follow in the fall.” In the meantime, make sure to catch the gallery’s final exhibition, “A Song for Those In Search of What They Came With,” a group show including work by Michele Abeles, Tony Cox, Raina Hamner, Marc Hundley, James Richards, and Amy Yao. What a nice note to go out on…