Before longtime art gallerists Gundega Stevens and Abigail Kreuser met more than a decade ago, numerous people told them they should work together. When they were introduced, they became instant friends. In 2020 the pair launched Curate Your Space, an art curation service for homes and businesses. Two years ago, they merged their individual galleries into one—Auric Gallery, a downtown Colorado Springs showroom highlighting the work of established and emerging local artists.
The moniker blends the names of Stevens’ daughter Aria and Kreuser’s son Caius. “Auric is also from aurum, the Latin term for gold and spirituality,” Stevens adds. “It encompasses who we are.”
Here, Stevens and Kreuser share more about their creative pursuits, give a glimpse into the gallery’s September shows and make the case for investing in art.
Within the city’s creative community, how does Auric stand out?
Kreuser: Something we hear often is that we are a safe place for artists to use their voices.
Stevens: Our ethos is two-part. One is to represent artists. Then, the biggest part of our gallery is our community. We provide a fun, interesting place to visit. We want to highlight all the good things about Colorado Springs.
What do you look for in the artists you work with?
Kreuser: It’s all about relationships. We choose artists we can collaborate with well.
At any given time, what mediums are on display?
Kreuser: It changes from month to month. It’s always so much fun to see how well they flow into each other, whether it be from color palettes or a genre. [In July, we had] a very political show, a beautiful figurative show, a dark, eclectic artist and an installation—four completely different exhibits. That's what's exciting, seeing something new every month.
Who’s in the gallery this month?
Stevens: We have Meghan Wilbar, who does these lovely, chunky landscape oil paintings. She also does torn paper drawings, which are spectacular. We have Chris Alvarez, who’s been in the community for a long time. He has a studio in the Depot Arts District where he teaches figurative drawing and landscapes. Lisa Wallace Deen does monoprints and paintings of abstract trees. We have a first-time artist, William Weiss. His paintings make you smile. They're happy paintings of landscapes and cityscapes, but not traditional.
Curate Your Space—how does it work?
Stevens: We do it all, from one piece to a whole house. We hang artwork you already have, like large pieces over stairwells. Last week, we did an entire two-story house. The owners had just moved in with a huge, beautiful art collection. We rotate artwork for businesses when they want a different vibe. For people with smaller homes, we'll go in once a year and re-curate their art.
Kreuser: Curate Your Space is not just finding pieces for people. We get to transform spaces.
How would you describe your own styles?
Kreuser: Let’s describe each other. Gundi’s home is more contemporary. The palette flows cohesively. She has hints of pink and colored pops here and there, but a lot more monotone color.
Stevens: Abby has more landscape. She likes yellows, greens and dark, rich colors. She has some sculptural pieces as well.
What advice would you give to someone buying art for the first time?
Stevens: Does it move you? Are you thinking about it? Keep it simple and buy what you love.
Kreuser: Art should evoke a feeling in you. It's hard sometimes for people to invest in art, and we don't want that to be a thing anymore. We want them to realize, if something's speaking to you, this is a lifelong investment. Whether it be $100 or $1,000 or $5,000, it’s something you're going to enjoy for the rest of your life.
Auric Gallery
125 E. Boulder St.
719.464.5880
auricgallery.com
POSSIBLE PULL QUOTE:
"We provide a fun, interesting place to visit," Stevens says. "We want to highlight all the good things about Colorado Springs."