Brandt Eisner, owner of Swoon—Fine Art & Antiques, recently made the tough decision to leave the charming Victorian farmhouse at 1410 Hammonds Plains Road. Eisner says sales have been down, his lease was ending and the owners were not properly maintaining the building. “I spent at least a year and a half looking for a new venue or land to build,” says Eisner, “but nothing seemed to work out.”
The gallery, which recently celebrated its fourth anniversary, features antiques and collectibles nestled next to the work of Nova Scotia artists and artisans. The closure of Swoon means a big change for the people that rely on the gallery for representation and to make ends meet. “There are those who do have work in other spaces but I am their top seller,” says Eisner. “This could mean a shift in their income.” Swoon will close on December 21, but the closure isn’t an end so much as a metamorphosis. Eisner will maintain the gallery’s web presence and he’s excited about organizing pop-up shows. “The closing of this space is not a failure,” he says. “It is only an opportunity to dig deeper, get more creative and move ahead in new and exciting ways.”
