Yet another gallery has closed up shop in the Jackson Square historic district, as the area continues to morph from an interior design destination to more of a fashion hub.
Lebreton Gallery, which sells furniture, sculpture, and paintings from a long list of artists, moved out of 412 Jackson St. this past Friday, Jan. 22. According to gallery manager Maxine Havens, Lebreton originally opened in 2003 in the Design District, debuting its second showroom on Jackson Street 10 years ago. The Design District location closed in 2013. While it seeks a new space, its online retail operation is still open for business.
"The complexion of the neighborhood is radically changing, as you can see by all the empty storefronts," Havens said. "The galleries are gone; they're being priced out of the area, really. Starting about three years ago, they started to go, and we’re one of the last."
Lebreton follows a long trail of shuttered or relocated art-related businesses, like the North Point Gallery, which moved to Berkeley, and Sarah Stocking Antique Posters, which has gone online-only. A few still remain in the area, including Arader Galleries (which closed one of its two storefronts in 2014), Foster-Gwin Art & Antiques and Montgomery Gallery.
Lebreton's rent rose "radically" about six months ago, Havens added, but she said that's the case for the entire city. The challenging parking situation in Jackson Square is another issue for those who shop for art and antiques, which can't easily be transported on public transit.
The former Sarah Stocking Vintage Poster Gallery.
Neighbors have been concerned about the changes in Jackson Square for some time, as the Barbary Coast News reported in 2014. Much of that concern, however, was about the influx of offices into the special use district, which is predominantly zoned retail-only on the ground floor (with some exceptions).
Not every space is headed in that direction: architectural firm Kodama Diseño, which moved to Oakland from its home at 617 Sansome St., has changed back its space from office use to retail. It's now home to JAKE Clothing.
Jackson Street.
Another example is the former Carrots boutique, which closed in 2014 and is now an appointment-only gallery, Stephanie Breitbard Fine Arts. Other spaces are still empty, or are being replaced with less foot-traffic-friendly businesses, or, where permitted, offices. One case in point: the space that housed Stocking's gallery now bears signs for FPA Multifamily Real Estate Investment firm.
