Bob Danon knows and appreciates the pylon art as much as anyone. But even their beauty has not made this construction summer any easier on him.
He recently became the operations manager of the city`s three Atlas Galleries. It is the main gallery on Michigan Avenue that has most concerned Danon. It sits on the southeast corner of Michigan and Ontario, a location it has occupied for about 20 years. It is one of a number of nice businesses along the east side of the street between Ontario and the bridge, among them a jewelry store, a Chinese restaurant, an Oriental rug shop and a hotel.
”It`s been a nightmare,” said Danon, standing in front of the gallery, on a street with holes in the sidewalk, wooden walls and chain-link fencing all around. ”There`s been a broken water pipe, a small fire when some pipes were cut. I have to admit that the crews have been great, responding to these problems, but that doesn`t help business any.”
Danon says that off-the-street business has fallen off by some 70 percent during the construction. We looked at some of the 130-150 pieces of art hanging on the walls. We saw some pieces priced in the three-figure range. We also saw a small Rembrandt etching priced at $14,500 and another work by a painter named Botello with a $40,000 price tag.
We asked Danon whether many off-the-street patrons could afford such items.
”Probably not,” he said. ”Those are for the serious collector. But many people coming in to browse will wind up buying an artwork. It`s hard to estimate what percentage our purchase business is off, but with 70 percent fewer people through the door I`m almost afraid to think what it has meant financially.”
In a clever attempt to make the best of a bad situation, Atlas decided to hold a ”construction sale” at all three galleries. Huge banners proclaim the event-the first summer sale in the galleries` history-and the Michigan Avenue gallery windows are filled with such items as hard hats and paint cans.
”I think it`s attracting some people,” Danon said. ”It`s a lighthearted way to respond to this mess. But they tell me our side of the street will be finished in four or five more weeks . . . and then next summer they start working the other side of the street.”
