Sometimes a loss is repaid with gains. With the regrettable closing of if Art Gallery late last year, some were predicting the decline of the contemporary arts scene in Columbia. As a new year dawned, however, the space that once housed Wim Roefs’ brainchild has morphed into two commercial galleries, both admirably bracing the current three-facility arts hub – City Art is just across the way – that exists on the 1100 block of Lincoln Street.

One half of the building that housed if Art is now Mike Brown Contemporary. Operated by multi-talented artist and gallerist Michaela Pilar Brown, this gallery continues to represent most of the artists once adopted by Roefs. The other half of that storefront space has been rechristened Mike Williams Art and reconfigured to suit the new proprietor’s demands.

One of those requirements is the desire to make art more accessible to all, not only to those intent upon an aesthetic experience but also those just strolling down the street on a sunny morning. On the day of my recent visit to the new Mike Williams gallery, both points of ingress, one of them a large overhead door, were left wide open to the elements, thus providing a welcoming gesture to passers-by. I was more than happy to walk right in.

Currently on display is the gallery’s winter exhibition made up of the work of six local artists. Four of them – David Yaghjian, Stephen Chesley, Edward Winberly and Mike Williams – are old friends who have traditionally participated in a group exhibition this time of year. Only the venue is different in 2023.

The works on display in this particular show offer a glimpse into each artist’s visual vocabulary over time. For those familiar with the Columbia arts scene, they provide a chance to get reacquainted with some of the most compelling artists working today; for those relatively new to what is being produced professionally in the Midlands, the pieces in the winter exhibition can serve as an excellent introduction to the distinctive subject matter and approach of these fine creative practitioners.

Portrait of John Farley