Downtown Roanoke’s art gallery lineup continues to shift as 11-year-old Gallery 108 plans to close at year’s end.

Though the news seems to continue a disheartening trend of arts-related closings and cutbacks, the decision didn’t come about because the gallery was struggling financially, said Susan Egbert, one of the gallery’s founding members.

Rather, the business of running the co-op gallery, with 26 members and 41 more artists featured on consignment, had become too time-consuming for those few members who could share the burden. The gallery has no employees.

Those members who could volunteer their time to help out “want to go back to doing art,” Egbert said. “I think it will be a nice switch.”

In the meantime, Gallery 108 is holding a closing sale through Dec. 21, offering 20 percent discounts on all items. The gallery, located at 108 Market St., will also hold a closing celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. during the Dec. 7 Art by Night downtown gallery tour.

If you liked the gallery’s offerings, don’t worry. Many of the co-op’s members will stay downtown. Some are joining 202 Market Square Galleries, which opens next month above 202 Market in downtown Roanoke.

Egbert herself is making the jump to Studios on the Square at 126 Campbell Ave. S.W. Egbert said fellow 108 members Petie Stringfellow, Nancy Stellhorn, Rebecca Talbot and Miki Overcast-Kallan will be joining her there, and they’ll be participating in future Art by Night events.

“We certainly didn’t want to lose our touch with downtown,” Egbert said.

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