MANAYUNK

By Melissa Anderson

Instead of sitting down and talking, venue manager Ivan Roa took us on a tour of Artesano Gallery. He told us about the major events the gallery coordinates, the memorable side of event planning, and some of the distinct pieces that are featured in the gallery.

How did you come to this section of Manayunk?

Artesano Iron Works is an architectural design and home decor company, crafting pieces for over a decade. Ivan explained that Artesano Gallery was created six years ago as an event venue. "We mainly do weddings, but we also do any type of social events in here."

What has been the most memorable event at the Gallery?

Ivan mentioned their grand reopening Mardi Gras event this past Saturday was the most memorable. "It was nice to see the community participating and to receive amazing support from businesses—such as CTO Artists who provided two bands, Norma and Gary from Gary Mann Jewelers, Philadelphia Magazine, and Pineapple on Main."

"When you do an event like this, it's fun and there is very little structure," Ivan explained further about what made the event so memorable. "With weddings, there is a schedule that we have to follow. This was like a big party for four hours," he continued, adding that the event had 200 guests.

As venue manager, do you get to have fun at these events you've planned?

"I get to have fun seeing other people's happiness!"

Ivan added that, at weddings, there's a lot of work that gets put into them so there may not be time for fun.

"You work for a year planning each of these weddings and then it's gone in five hours."

How would you describe that feeling?

As we settled in the entryway of Artesano Gallery, Ivan reminisced on past weddings. "I think it's memorable to see after all of the planning—and the wedding itself, it is the beginning of a new family."

Ivan explained how even after a wedding is over, there is still a relationship between him and the brides—even years later when the couple has their first child.

Why do you think versatility in cooking is important?

"Food is an important part of the whole creativity of each event," Ivan answered.

"We cater to an immense multi-cultural community, so everybody has their own heritage they want to feature," he went on to say, highlighting some of the different menus that themed weddings have.

What are you looking forward to this spring in Manayunk?

"I'm planning to work very hard because we are completely booked," Ivan stated honestly. "It takes a whole week for the wedding on Saturday to happen, so we have to take care of the decor, the food, getting the staff."

Is there anything the gallery hasn't done before that you would like to do?

After thinking for a second, Ivan laughed and admitted, "I've always wanted to do a Cinco de Mayo event." Although we agreed that it'd be too festive and colorful for a wedding, it sure would be one-of-a-kind and memorable.

If Artesano Gallery could host an event for a celebrity who would it be?

As he looked around the upstairs event space envisioning which celebrity he'd want to see in there, Ivan decided that he'd want to plan a cocktail party for Annie Lennox.

Do you have a favorite art piece in the Gallery?

After we took a complete tour of the gallery, Ivan focused on describing each of the doors that have been crafted here, unable to pick a favorite, "Every door in Artesano is its own art piece."

The true beauty of the doors is hard to describe through words or pictures, but the entrance of Artesano Gallery at 109 Green Lane has many great pieces to look at—including their doors. If you're looking to have a memorable, one-of-a-kind event or if you're interested in seeing their future events, follow their Facebook page.