The dealer-artist model of galleries straddling the line between ambassador to culture and commodities seller is extremely prevalent in the current art market. Art dealers by definition sell art to customers. However, their role as many see it is to bring culture to the population via collectors and exhibitions. It is important for the dealer to maintain an attitude of cultural sensitivity as well as a business which puts culture over currency( or at least appears to). The idea of pricing out paintings is a bit of a taboo in the art world. Because one of the purposes of art is to evoke emotion, feeling and mimic the defining features of art, it is difficult to price. How can one put a price on the feeling of childhood, or the horror of death. Dealers try to bridge the gap between sales and cultural ambassador, to both help the artist sell their work, and the buyer own a cultural experience.
It is often difficult to remain culturally sensitive while maintaining a business. Galleries in New York often move because areas become more or less fashionable. New York's SoHo was a hot spot for galleries in the 1970's due to its low rents and industrial feel. When major shopping labels began moving into SoHo in the 1990's, galleries moved elsewhere, such as Chelsea and Brooklyn to maintain an artistic integrity.
Maintaining artistic integrity is one of the major aspects of the galleries which differentiates themselves from regular shops and sellers. The Front Room is a perfect example of how galleries engineer an environment of culture. The Front Room is a mix between a car sales room and a museum. The floors are often wood or cement, and the lighting perfectly focuses the attention on the pieces. The art work is the sole fixture of the walls, and prices are rarely ever seen or mentioned. The lack of price labeling helps communicate to the public that the gallery is not a place of business, but a cultural experience. There are no cash registers- showing again a difference in business. Even after New York law pushed dealers to reveal prices for artwork to avoid snobbery and asymmetric information, dealers still try their best to hide prices by stating "the item is yet to be priced". The Front Room is a place of elegance, and not sales. Even when a piece has been sold, it is not immediately removed because the gallery is still used for free exhibition to the general public. A perfect example of a Front Room is the Stricoff Gallery in Chelsea, pictured below. 
Ultimately, the Front Room experience shows the delicate balance between art and commodities. Galleries maintain an aura of cultural significance while subtly sell artwork benefits the artist and the customer. The difficulty in pricing and maintaining a liquid market for art is due to the fact that dealers try to differentiate the Art Market from any other market. Other markets have homogenous products,however the Art Market offers products which evoke feelings which affect everyone differently. These one of a kind products are difficult to sell, but creating an environment of cultural sensitivity maintains the artists' aims.