We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ivy Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ivy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

There is not one project that is the most meaningful there are many that are. Besides owning a gallery I curate art throughout the tristate area. Doing public art curation is very important as it brings art to the people where they are, curating benefits for a worthy organization is as important, I also curate a gallery in a retirement community and love bringing art and inspiring people who cannot go and see art themselves but so appreciate having it accessible.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We opened the gallery in 2001, we had planned to open in 2002 but wanted to do something for our community after 9/11, though the gallery was not finished the artist’s worked together to bring it to life and on November 8th, 2001 we opened. The gallery specializes in representing and exhibiting contemporary art across various mediums with a focus on works with a 3D element. We work with emerging and established artists and are dedicated to providing support and showcasing their work. I draw from my background in the commercial arts industry where I was a representative for photographers, fashion and set stylists, hair and make-up artists, to bring my expertise and experience to the fine arts arena. I did not go the normal route of working at a gallery or auction house before opening the gallery, initially it was meant to be an extension of my business but as in life I took a left instead of a right and decided to focus on fine art.
One of the key aspects is my commitment to curate exhibitions throughout New York City and Tri State area. By organizing shows in different locations, the gallery aims to bring art to a diverse audience and engage with the local community. This commitment to accessibility and outreach allows a wider range of people to experience and appreciate contemporary art.
A notable aspect of the gallery’s mission is to present unusual and thought-provoking art to the public. By featuring works that may challenge conventional norms or push boundaries, the gallery fosters a space for innovative and experimental artistic expressions. This emphasis on showcasing unique and unconventional art encourages viewers to broaden their perspectives and engage with new ideas.
The gallery tagline says it all: Bringing unusual art to the people.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are several aspects of curating and owning a gallery that are incredibly rewarding, from working with artist’s to exposing artwork to the public. My relationship with the artists I work with in very important to me, I like them all and have individual relationships with each of them. We know about a lot about each other. I find it fascinating what their creative processes are like, and they are all so different from each other. We know about each others families and loved ones and they become a wider part of our gallery family. Its very satisfying to expose art to people and see them light up and be inspired by it. Art can change the way you view your surroundings, it can inspire you, it can lift you up and take you down, it has power and it effects people. Its amazing to be part of the process of bringing that to people. When people see my vision and react there’s really nothing better. It humbles me.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are so many resources I wish I had known about when I started out, selling on various online platforms was totally foreign to me. I co-chair a group of women art dealers and we share our knowledge and resources with each other, it has made a huge difference in my working life. Social media was not as vital when I started as it is now, there was no Instagram, even having a website was unique, now all these tools are a must in the industry. There are websites where you can see who is looking for artist’s to submit work for various exhibitions, in New York we have New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) it has job listings for creatives as well as so many other resources. There are so many places to list openings or events we are doing, ARTCARDS, is a great place to see where openings are, it links to your website as well as as having all the details of the event, when I have an opening in Brooklyn Art Rabbit is great, there are many more and I knew nothing of them when I started out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ivybrowngallery.org/
• Instagram: @ivyjeannebrowngallery
• Facebook: Ivy Brown Gallery
• Linkedin: Ivy Brown Gallery
• Twitter: ivyjeannebrown
• Yelp: Ivy Brown Gallery
• Other: Artsy: Ivy Brown Gallery 1stDibs: Ivy Brown Gallery

Image Credits
Ivy Brown Gallery