After a year and a half in business, Fontanelle Gallery will close at the end of the month. The press release announcing Fontanelle's closure was admittedly sad, though positive overall, emphasizing a capital of success built over the course of the gallery's run.

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Fontanelle and talked to Jess Fogel, co-owner and director of the gallery. She maintained the positivity of her press release, but admitted that the weakened economy "played a big part" in the closing— adding that her and co-owner Leslie Miller are parting on good terms, both looking forward to future projects. Fogel wasn't ready to disclose the specifics of her future plans at the time of our chat.

The upside?— there's still art on the walls, if only for a few more weeks. Fontanelle's current exhibit, Our Songs of Experience, features works on paper by Juliana Bright. Not only do Bright's watercolors capture the spirit of Fontanelle (which often hosted illustrative works), but they also make an unexpected literary reference, paying homage to William Blake's Songs of Experience. This Blake reference does a lot to inform Bright's stylistic choices; the artist appears to draw inspiration from the illustrations accompanying Blake's poems.

Additional silver lining— Fontanelle's existence is well documented in Fontanelle: Year One, a book containing images of the art displayed during the gallery's first year in business (including essays by the featured artists).

Fontanelle (205 SW Pine Street) will host a closing party on the 22nd, from 7-9 pm.