Art Gallery Breathes New Life into Repurposed Space

Jim Riead has opened the Door County Arts Guild Gallery at his building at 6709 Hwy 42 in the Town of Egg Harbor. Photo by D.A. Fitzgerald.

Door County Arts Guild Gallery

6709 Hwy 42, Egg Harbor

The yellow, cupolated building just south of Petpourri in the Town of Egg Harbor had long held a beauty salon. The pandemic changed that, leaving the building’s owner, Jim Riead, to mull potential uses for the space. He decided to open a seasonal gallery to sell original art by artists both local and far flung. His stable of local artists now numbers 19, and he’s always on the lookout for more.

Riead purchases the fine art himself, then displays it for resale. He’s not into knickknacks or counter kitsch for quick tourist hits. Instead, it’s all about art, both traditional and abstract, and it adorns each of the four rooms within the space, arranged by subject matter.

Riead is not an artist himself, but he is a collector. He said he’s confident there’s a market for the art adorning his walls, including the pieces that are quite large and those with more robust price points. 

Riead is a Green Bay resident whose past includes condominium development on the peninsula. At 82 years old, he’s ready to take on this new, seasonal venture.