FRAME OF MIND

Rebecca Segall is turning over a new artistic leaf as owner of Gross McCleaf Gallery.

Gross McCleaf Gallery has been an esteemed fixture on Philly’s gallery scene for more than 50 years, but with the recent retirement of longtime owner Sharon Ewing and the new ownership under PAFA graduate Rebecca Segall, the contemporary gallery is prepared to take on the next half-century with a refreshed—and decidedly modernday— perspective.

“I was already a Gross McCleaf Gallery admirer and patron and knew it as an important fixture, not just in the Philadelphia art scene generally but particularly for the artist community that I had engaged with over the years,” says Segall of her decision to take the helm of the gallery. “There are so many wonderful artists, art schools and creative institutions in Philadelphia. In my experience it’s an incredibly supportive community, and I’m thrilled to be extending Gross McCleaf Gallery’s life so these artists can continue to show and sell their work.”

Part of that newly emboldened life includes an update to the gallery’s physical facilities as well as a renewed online presence, including a COVID-friendly system for appointments and a streamlined Shopify experience for those who want to buy artwork online from near and far. “Clients have spent more time than ever in their homes and are looking to renew and enliven their surroundings,” she says, noting new April exhibitions from painters Joseph Lozano and Christine Lafuente.

And in terms of the artwork the sartorially forward Segall prefers, she’s all about realism. “Whether a landscape, still-life or figure painting, I prefer to get lost in someone else’s narrative and remain deeply curious about the many choices an artist makes along the way. I feel this curiosity is really important because it’s a way to connect with an artist as a human being. It’s simple—but it’s also everything.”