https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnWxs_rOsTk&t=1s
We’ve all heard the saying which describes a cloud lined with what appears to be a silver when in actuality its Gold. Such is the case with the Ivan Gallery which has stood the test of time in South Robertson area or SoRo as the locals called for over 20 years. Their story is an admirable one. The Provosts, Aubrey and his wife Melba a 65 journey from love, bicycles and art to partnering with long-time friends, Jackie Ryan and Mary Kimbrough who’ve been around long enough to be looked upon as family and who just happen to be, former owners of the Zambezi Bazaar of Leimert Park. Together they form a coalition of trust, loyalty, selling power and a friendship that spans the test of time. To be in the presence of those who have carried the burning torch is not only uplifting it’s a feeling that is indescribably delicious to the spirit. And then right there, in the center of a room that had tons of history, herstory and their story we were transformed into a coven of warmth and sacred conversation. I would like to call it, “The Ivan Experience”. For those of you who are history buffs there was a very famous and long-standing printing company out of NY called, Currier and Ives. The company began in 1835 lasting until 1907. Its series “Dark Town” was acquired by the Provost. This past St. Valentines’ Day coupled with Black History Month flavored the setting all the more with the fresh smell of chocolate, roses for the ladies, per Aubrey, laughter and a tasteful display of the brilliant works of Haitian artist Martino Dorce who uses different textures of watercolor, vision, and ancestral influences to share the depth and profundity of his work.
