APD searches Midtown's Bill Lowe Gallery

Investigators with the Atlanta Police Major Fraud Unit served a search warrant at Midtown’s Bill Lowe Gallery on Tuesday.

Atlanta Police Officer John Chafee said the investigators were following up on complaints from artists on how their work was being sold.

WSB-TV reported that investigators were seen removing computers, files and some pieces of work from the gallery that is located at 1555 Peachtree St. in north Midtown. The news outlet interviewed a New York City-based artist who said the gallery had neglected paying him thousands of dollars despite selling his works.

No arrests have been made, nor charges filed in the open case according to the police. A message left by Patch with the gallery has not been returned. Bill Lowe sent WSB a statement reading,

"I can state without equivocation that for the past quarter century my gallery has generated for all our artists, and their agents, exceptional incomes and significantly expanded career opportunities.  We work tirelessly to advance their interests. The characterization of our interaction with artists as anything other than a vibrant, productive and committed advocacy is inaccurate, and a distortion of the full story of our relationships - many of which extend well over a decade."

The gallery has been located at its current 13,000 square-foot, two-story space at Two Peachtree Pointe since August 2008.

The gallery states on its website that, “Bill Lowe Gallery has gained an international reputation for its curatorial skills. Committed to a standard of excellence amplified by great visual drama, the gallery's ability to mount exhibitions which resonate powerfully with critics and viewers alike has become legend.” 

The gallery’s inaugural 2013 exhibition of new works by artist Thornton Dial is scheduled to open next week.