In a decision heard round the art world, Jeffrey Deitch was chosen to direct MOCA last week. His expertise in the commercial sphere, the museum hopes, might bring them out of their financial hole.

But according to our pal Paddy Johnson of Art Fag City, Deitch's transcontinental move will leave Soho with a hole of its own.

Deitch was a veritable New York Medici, cultivating young artists and giving them substantial budgets with which to hone their craft. His gallery had a high turnover rate, with new shows monthly--and as a result, Johnson writes, most artists in New York, "have at least one or two friends who have shown at the venue and many more acquaintances."

So, his move to L.A. is a loss for New York and the artists working here. It is particularly a loss for Soho, where galleries, especially not profit ones, have not been faring well. Johnson points to the artist-run Guild & Greyshkul, which shut its doors in February of last year. The gallery represented 120 artists, many of whom unknown until exhibited in the space.

Sure, Johnson points out, Deitch's taste was not always good (and she seems somewhat relieved that MOCA's financial troubles will divert him from its artistic program). But without strongholds like Deitch Projects, how will artists get through the recession?