By Evan Williams
Apr 1, 2026
It is famously hard to make a living as an artist — but try being a gallerist, especially in today’s market.
Southwest Florida’s storefront contemporary fine-art galleries face a storm of short- and long-term economic headwinds threatening the industry. Owners cite declining foreign tourism, rising overhead costs, economic uncertainty, and waning influence as tastemakers in the internet age.
Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton compounded the challenge, wiping out sales from local homeowners who left the area or focused on recovery.
Yet there are hopeful signs. Some galleries, particularly those centered on a single artist, report stronger activity. Quidley says the crucial month of January was “decent, strong.”
And a new addition to Fort Myers’ storefront gallery scene, SH Modern Art, is off to a brisk start.
“We are just as busy as we can possibly be,” says Sallie Hirshberg, a seasoned fine-art adviser who opened her gallery late last summer near McGregor Boulevard and College Parkway. “It’s been really great now having a brick-and-mortar, having people come in and working with them.”
The wave of luxury condominium construction across Southwest Florida also bodes well, she said, as new residences create demand for art.
A February exhibition at SH Modern featured new paintings by Malibu, California-based graffiti artist Amber Goldhammer priced from about $700 to $3,900.
Goldhammer’s 36-by-60-inch painting “Cheer For Me, And I’ll Cheer For You,” priced at $2,850, caused a stir when it sold during the exhibition. Nearby, a piece by French kinetic art pioneer Patrick Rubinstein was priced at $23,000, and an M.L. Snowden bronze at $45,800.
