Artist Nancy Shaver is closing Henry, her collectibles shop in Hudson, New York, after 30 years. The store, which functioned both as a retail enterprise and a long-running art project, will shut its doors on July 15. Shaver, known for her fabric-covered wall sculptures and object-filled boxes, explains that the landlord wants the space back, and she sees the closure as an opportunity for change. She plans to continue with pop-up versions of Henry, including one in California in November during her show at Sam Parker's gallery.
The closure of Henry matters because it represents the end of a unique hybrid of art and commerce that directly influenced Shaver's artistic practice. The shop served as a laboratory for arranging objects in visually and intellectually compelling ways, with a porous boundary between retail stock and studio materials. Shaver's approach to curation and display has been recognized internationally, including her project for the 2017 Venice Biennale. The closing marks a shift in how an established artist integrates everyday objects into her work, and signals a potential evolution in her studio practice.