Have you ever asked an artist what’s the hardest part of their job? Many will tell you that it’s the creative part (the dreaming, the reinventing, the imagining). Others might tell you that it’s the business side: Getting your name out there. But for the past five years, that’s been a little easier for local artists at Sean Brown’s Studio 12 Gallery in the Santa Fe Art District, where he has been dedicated to Colorado art and to new artists.

But on July 5, the quirky gallery will close. The six-day workweeks and retail hours aren’t attractive any more to Brown, an artist himself. “I’m looking to make a change and simplify my life,” says Brown who’s buying a larger home in the Denver area where he will also move his personal studio, which currently resides at Studio 12. When the gallery closes in July, making art—a collection of jewelry and mixed media pieces—will be Brown’s full-time job.

But don’t worry, art-goers. The gallery isn’t going away permanently. Gallery owners from Chicago are moving to Denver and taking over the space. Studio 12 isn’t finished quite yet either. The gallery’s last show, Close to the Edge, will feature a Patrick Zoller exhibit that begins this Friday and will continue until the close on July 5.

Looking for other adventures in the Santa Fe Art District? Check out some of the other tenants in Studio 12’s building, including:

  • Vigilant Robots: A techie geek’s dream, this lab creates autonomous robots for security protection. 209 Kalamath St. #13, 303-778-7400.

—Image courtesy of Sean Brown