After nine years of showcases, the ACU downtown gallery closed its doors due to an increase in rent for the space.

Before the shows moved off-campus, they were restricted to the on-campus Shore Gallery next to the Don Morris Center where a staff and faculty showcase is currently on display.

Jack Maxwell, professor of art and design, said because student showcases used to be on-campus, the change isn’t drastic, although the space had nice things the students will miss.

“It was a very professional urban-looking space and it was fun to schedule openings during Art Walk,” Maxwell said. “That way our students could contribute their work to the Abilene art scene and also interact with visitors that would probably not visit a show in the Shore.”

There are advantages of the Shore Gallery, including its proximity to the department and that it’s open every weekday, Monday through Friday. The downtown gallery was only open during certain times, so the availability of the on-campus gallery is more convenient to the university as a whole, Maxwell said.

For the future, Maxwell said he has a meeting scheduled later in the month to discuss possibilities of an additional site that is located off the main campus.