Seven Muses, a downtown Tacoma art and contemporary craft gallery, will be closing doors on May 31, due to economic constraints. The gallery, which has sold whimsical indoor/outdoor art and craft, including from recycled materials, had been struggling for the last year, said co-owners Tom and Leslie Michael, who opened the space on Broadway in July 2004. The Michaels will close at the termination of their current lease at the end of May; throughout April they'll be selling non-consignment merchandise at 50 percent discount, and selling certain furniture items.

The gallery/shop is the second one in the Broadway neighborhood to close recently: Art Concepts on Broadway closed late last year. Times are hard for art sales.

"With the economy in the dumpster and absolutely no indication that it might even begin to recover for at least another three years or more, we have decided it is time to move in a new direction," said Tom Michael. "My own work has been the top seller since we opened so I plan to do craft fairs from now on."

Seven Muses is located at 1127 Broadway #101, Tacoma, and is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays through May 31. 253-572-9998, www.thesevenmuses.com