Dover Abrams was born and raised in the Valley 33 years ago. He and his wife, Jill (a native of Colorado, and also 33) are artists with drive. Dover is a self-taught painter, muralist, sculptor, and musician. When asked how he describes his work, Dover explains, “I focus on abstract and figurative paintings with primitive undertones.” Jill creates ceramics that are reminiscent of Ming vases. She also sculpts and draws with ink on paper. Their raw talent and the ambition to exhibit and sell their work started them on a path to start what is becoming a very reputable art gallery for emerging and established artists. 

The Abrams started their business as artists on the streets of North Hollywood. They gathered a group of ten to . fifteen local artists and sold the group’s original works of art on Lankershim Boulevard. This drew the attention of people at Constellation Studios, who admired and appreciated what the artists were doing. Constellation aided the artists’ efforts by letting them show in front of their building. Soon, the studio offered inside space for monthly exhibitions. The success of these shows encouraged the Abrams to start their own gallery. An invitation was extended to be part of the Lankershim Arts Building, then run by the Print Making Society and home to a non-pro. t theatre company. Because the space was occupied for more than half of the year, the Abrams initially used the space for about five months, slowly building a business of art for not only themselves, but for other local artists as well. 

During that time, the Lankershim Arts Building was a city-subsidized organization. The Abrams managed to maintain their art business with their own finances, and gave back to the community by offering art classes. The next six years they put sweat equity not only into their gallery, but also into coming up with (and following through on) ideas that would benefit North Hollywood. Dover recalls, “We put hard work into the gallery, not just for the Lankershim Arts Building, but for the entire neighborhood. It meant a lot to us.” It paid off. The Abrams developed a successful and popular gallery that greatly contributed to the success of the NoHo Arts District. 

In October of 2004, the couple found their gallery rapidly growing. Their clientele were becoming much savvier, and more wall space for quality art was needed. Sharing a gallery with an upstairs theatre company was becoming difficult, as the demand for more shows was increasing. When they found the perfect space, the Abrams moved their artists and clientele to Downtown Los Angeles to become part of Downtown’s new monthly Art Walk. This was the impetus for Infusion Gallery, a beautiful, spacious, 10,000 square foot gallery. They had truly developed a place where, as they put it, “Emerging artists are discovered.”

Guest solo artists from across the country exhibit their work at Infusion Gallery, and group shows feature hot local talent. Resident artists include Dover, Charlie Morey, Jenik, and Veronika Constantine. Infusion Gallery provides an opportunity for serious and new art collectors to invest in art for under $5,000. The artists are already seeing an increase in sales. 

Running a successful gallery takes work -- more than the average person realizes. To present exciting new shows monthly, the Abrams believe that they need to put the business of art before the actual art. As artists themselves, they certainly produce enough saleable art to have a gallery of their own works. They prefer to give other artists an opportunity to be part of what they do. They look for artists not only with talent, but also with the drive to promote their own work, and more importantly, positive attitudes in order to be part of the business of selling art. When asked what their vision for the gallery is, Dover states, “Our goal is to have an elite group of positive, forward-thinking artists. We want artists who are dedicated to our space, as we strive to make it a home base for people to come to when looking for new, original and affordable contemporary art.” 

The Abrams do everything they can to make sure that they deliver a spectacular show, with stimulating work that captures not only the eye, but the soul as well. They encourage their artists to be present at the monthly art receptions so that they can discuss their work in person with the public. 

Infusion Gallery receives multitudes of submissions for showings, so much so that they have to turn away artists. They find that what is most successful is working with artists who are likeminded in the business of creating and selling collectible art. Dover goes beyond showing his work at Infusion Gallery, and has upcoming shows in Connecticut, London, and Australia. His work can also be found all over Los Angeles. From making a mark in the NoHo Arts District, the Abrams have created a gallery that is well on its way to becoming a force to be reckoned with. 

Infusion Gallery hosts its artists’ reception the second Thursday of every month as part of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The gallery is located at 828 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, California, 213.683.8827. For more information, go to www.InfusionGallery.com. 

Sophia is a local artist who regularly shows with Infusion Gallery. Her work can be viewed at: www.dessagallery.com. Dover and Jill Abrams pose with a painting of themselves.