Imagine a local gallery so dedicated to its community that it features only work from local artists. Meet the visionary who brought this dream to life: owner and curator of Kreuser Gallery, Abigail Kreuser.
With an innate love for art, this Colorado Springs native returned home from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in fine art photography and pure determination to encourage and empower our local art community.
A Dream Becomes Reality
After finding the perfect space, Abigail’s dream took flight. She opened her first physical gallery in 2011 and began featuring the work of local artists. She has since moved to a bigger space downtown, and her gallery has created an opportunity to put local artists' work in the spotlight.
“I support both established artists and up-and-coming artists and I like to show everything. My one stipulation is that I only show work from artists in the Pikes Peak Region,” explains Kreuser. “We have so much talent here. Growing the art community and curating homes with stunning pieces made right here in town is my number one priority and goal.”
A Labor of Love
Kreuser swaps her shows out once a month to keep a consistent flow and diversity of artists in her gallery. During the month of February, Kreuser featured over 175 local artists in the gallery for its 5th Annual Gratitude Exhibit. Yet even when Kreuser can’t show an artist, she always recommends them to another gallery or provides them with resources.
“It’s so important to me that local artists are seen and acknowledged. I want to encourage and build this community up in any way I can,” she explains. “Anyone with experience in the art world knows this is a labor of love. The more we advocate for one another, the more our art community grows and the more we can share our art.”
Kreuser Gallery participates in First Friday every month and hosts an array of art classes and workshops. Kreuser also offers yoga classes, wine nights, and other events which you can find posted on her social media pages.
“I have some really talented artists who host classes out of the gallery," she says. "I love being able to use this space to promote art in any way I can.”
Website: https://www.kreusergallery.com/
Facebook: @kreusergallery
Instagram: @kreuser_gallery/
