After a long battle with the economic crisis, Gen Art announced plans to shutdown.
From fashion design to filmmaking, visual arts, and even music, Gen Art has been the leading arts and entertainment group since its inception in 1993. Founder Ian Gerard began the company as a non-profit organization after recognizing the difficulty emerging artists from his alma mater faced when finding the right outlet to display their work in New York’s art galleries.
With offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, about one hundred Gen Art events are produced annually; these events include a week-long film festival, fashion shows, the Vanguard Art Fair during Miami Art Basel, art receptions, live music showcases, and tours. There is nothing Gen Art does not do.
In 1995, the company, originally named generational biases, expanded into fashion. They later hired a young talented film professional, Paul Gachot, who created and directed the company’s first film festival, The Gen Art Film Festival. Founded in 1996, the film festival showcased up-and-coming independent American filmmakers. The company aimed to be an accessible source of film, art, music, and fashion, and to influence progressive and forward-thinking individuals who have a desire to be a part of culture.
Current economic challenges have proved insurmountable for Gen Art. The collapse of a pending Gen Art corporate partnership a few weeks ago weighed heavily on the company. And since, Gerard has announced that the company does not possess sufficient resources to defeat the overpowering economic crisis. In an address to Gen Art supporters, Ian and Stefan Gerard said:
“It has been an incredible journey and experience. We will always remember the good times and proudly think back on the opportunities created for so many emerging artists through the thousands of fashion shows, film screenings and festivals, live music performance, art fairs and competitions we have produced across the country since 1994. We hope that where we have left off, others will step up to help fill the void.”
