The gallery will leave a historic creamery in Paoli for a 19th century tobacco warehouse in Stoughton (above).
A longtime Dane County art gallery is moving.
Abel Contemporary Gallery, formerly Artisan Gallery, will relocate from the historic former creamery in Paoli, where it’s been for more than 30 years, to Stoughton in the spring of 2019. Owners Theresa Abel and Tim O’Neill (both artists themselves) purchased the business from the space’s former and original owner in 2004, when they began to bring in larger names and nationally recognized artists.
Artisan Gallery was renamed Abel Contemporary Gallery in 2017, as the space celebrated its 30th anniversary.
After being informed by the landlord of the Paoli location that the building would be put up for sale for a price outside of their range, Abel and O’Neill secured a new space, a historic tobacco warehouse at 524 E. Main St. in nearby Stoughton.
“When we first found out we wouldn’t be able to stay, it was alarming,” says Abel. “But now that we’re really looking into what we can do with the new building, it’s really exciting.”
Abel describes the new space as “beautiful,” saying it has original wood plank floors and walls, a “soaring” ceiling, and wide-open functional space for the gallery.
“We actually get to make this space just what we want it to be,” Abel says, noting that the structure is in need of some updates but the pair is up for the challenge.
Until the new gallery opens in March 2019, Abel Contemporary Gallery will continue to operate out of its current location in Paoli; the owners expect a seamless transition into the new building without a break in business.
Once settled into the new location, Abel Contemporary Gallery will continue its model of running three exhibitions alongside each other: a one or two-person show, a group show, and another exhibit working with a unique feature of the building, similar to the gallery’s current In the Cooler series, which showcases work in the original creamery cooler.
Abel and O’Neill closed Creamery Cafe, the popular cafe attached to the Paoli gallery, in September 2014.
