Vision

AB Gallery was the brainchild of artist William Quigley in 1994. It opened in a mini mall storefront on Robertson Blvd in Los Angeles across from the infamous Ivy restaurant. Originally named Mayb, the gallery’s first exhibit was a collaborative group show with artists Marc Chiat, Steve Hurd, Manuel Ocampo, John Barnhardt, Paul Bridenbaugh, Dan Fisher, John Ivanchenko, Biel March Simo, Juan Sastre, Renee Borkow, and William Quigley all pitching in to build out the space.

Dan Bernier became the director a few weeks after the first opening and changed the name to AB Gallery. In 1995, after 10 successful shows, collector Jay Payne offered AB an entire second story rent free mini mall on one of the busiest corners in Hollywood at Highland and Sunset Blvd. The gallery consisted of six 2nd floor storefronts providing each artist solo shows in their own store.

Nearly every show was reviewed by writers and important critics like Michael Duncan, Suzanne Muchnic, Christopher Knight from the LA Times, Matthew Gleason of Coagula, Robert Williams/ Juxtapoz, Arts Magazine Walter Darby Bannard, Artforum’s Peter Plagens, Peter Frank of the LA Weekly and others. Openings were epic packed with friends and guests drinking canned beers and boxed wine. Guests included artists, curators, gallerists, collectors and supporters from a variety of professions. The internet was almost non existant. Art world enthusiasts like Gina Gershon, Ed Ruscha, Joe Goode, Charles Ray, Dennis Hopper, John Baldessari, Robert and Susan Williams, Larry Gagosian, Barry Sloane, Merry Karnowsky, Bennett Roberts, Christopher Knight, Peter Frank, Paul McCarthy, Ed Moses, Kim Light, Jeff Poe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dean Valentine, Barry Sloane, Doug Kramer, David Fincher, Ralph De Blanc, Rick Fox, Debbie Harry, Nick Cage, Doug Christmas, Peter & Eileen Norton, Manny Silverman, Billy Idol, Matt Gleason, Allen Ruppersberg, Stephen Prina, Robert and Andrew Haag, Chris Lloyd, Paul Schimmel, Arlene Sorkin, Margo Leavin, Jim Carey, Robert Berman, Wesley Snipes, Marilyn Manson, Dr. Ken and Karl Tokita, Mike Kelley, Chris Burden, Nancy Rubins, Kim Light, Keanu Reeves, Gregory Brown, Matt Groening, Sly Stallone or David Zwirner would just pop in to see a show or attend one of the fun festive openings.

Like many LA galleries in the 1990s, AB became an early launching pad for several now recognized artists such as: Manuel Ocampo, Martin Kersels, Patty Wickman, Steve Hurd, Russell Crotty, Marc Chiat, John Sonsini, Paul Bridenbaugh, Kevin Sullivan, Bill Livingston, Gina Lamb, Toba and Rachel Khedoori, John Ivanchenko, Jason Rhoades, George Stoll, Tamara Fites, Julian Bismuth, Mike Bouchet and its founder William Quigley.

AB started as an artist run space intent on showing good work. Many of the gallery’s original artists moved on to work with more prominent galleries like Rosamund Felsen, Jose Freire, Lehmann Maupin, Bess Cutler, Jack Tilton, Baldwin, Regen Projects, Mitchell Innes, Nash, David Zwirner, and Gagosian causing AB to close its doors in 1996.

Closed for over 25 years, AB NY Gallery relaunched in 2021 in East Hampton, NY with director Sarah Scribner applying a fresh aesthetic and eclectic contemporary vision for its future. AB Gallery’s focus is once again producing quality shows in an attempt to place its artists in private and public collections, foundations, and museums by collaborating with galleries, curators, art fairs and pop-up events with exciting brands and charitable causes aimed at supporting the arts.