More changes are afoot for the gallery scene at the intersection of Roosevelt and Fifth streets. In addition to Pravus shutting its doors at the end of the month, funky art haven Infinitas Gallery has closed down as its proprietors are moving to a new location.
Justin McBee and Jen Lux, the artist couple that ran Infinitas out of the historic residence across from eye lounge, shut down their arty enterprise recently and are relocating a new home along Roosevelt Street. After more than two years of renting the residence, which was built in 1915, McBee says they've purchased a place of their own and will eventually hold private art events there sometime in the future.
"We've lived here for more than two years and it seemed like we were never going to be able to afford to buy this place," he says. "We felt it was better to invest our time and money into a building that we owned."
McBee has hosted events and exhibited art at the location since Art Detour 2009, when he began putting on some major shindigs at the house (then known as Studio+) along with former Valley party promoter Bradford Still.
It later was rechristened as Infinitas Gallery and began exhibiting the works of such artists as photographer Joi Carey and painter Bruce Charles. Local performance troupe Grindwhore also put on a memorable show last October. It hasn't featured any new work since March (when photographer Quincy Ross displayed a series of Polaroid pics), as McBee and Lux were figuring out whether or not they'd keep running the gallery.
They eventually purchased their new home (which is located near 10th Avenue and Roosevelt Street) in the last few months, and are currently renovating the property. Lux says they'll eventually continue to host art events and parties sometime in the future (likely under a new name), albeit of a more private nature.
"Infinitas will be resurrected in a different form," Lux says. "We're planning on eventually doing something, we just don't know what yet. We really want to dig our heels in before we figure out what we're doing and see how we fit in over in the new neighborhood."
