For a good blend of music and art, meet Jael and Imor

Jael Opinya, 26, breathes, dreams and lives art. Art runs in her DNA. Nothing could possibly match the thrill that creative work elicits in her life.

At an exquisite art studio in the quietness of Woodley Estate in Nairobi, her exciting world spins. From exhibitions of figurative, abstract and contemporary art pieces to urbane music playing in the background and wide-ranging media production on display, this studio radiates sheer creativity of the diverse art genres of its resident artists.

Started in September 2015, this facility comprises of an art and music studio and an art school. The place is always abuzz, as artists, budding musicians and photographers walk in and out all day long.

Jael does not work alone. David Imor, 26, is her business partner, with who she cofounded the hub. Their partnership is as seamless as it is complementary.

Jael is a graduate of bachelor of commerce (finance) from Strathmore University while Imor studied graphics and design at Buru Buru Institute of Fine Arts (BIFA).

PARTNERSHIP

Forming a partnership was a masterstroke in their approach to art and business.

“Imor and I met in 2015 through a mutual friend who was teaching us to play the guitar. I had just graduated. From this interaction, the journey to our future partnership had taken off,” Jael says.

That is how Artiv Hub Ltd came into being. Getting the start-up off the ground without returns was not easy though. Three more members came on board, but they soon left, disgruntled about the slow start of the business.

On why they set up the art hub, the pair envisioned a platform that other artists could exploit to practice and develop their different dimensions of art while interacting with their fellow creatives. They have since bought music equipment and other learning aids which they use to teach upcoming artists.

“Our school specialises in music and fine art. We currently have 35 students. We hope to enrol more in 2019,” Imor says.

Jael goes on,

“We offer 20 sessions for music classes and 36 for fine art and drawing. The classes are flexible and sessions run between three and four months. Sometimes we offer home-based music lessons depending on the learner’s preference.”

They charge Sh20,000 for the entire course, an amount they believe is affordable to artists trying to find their footing on the art scene.

“Most of them have no money to go to formal art schools. They would, therefore, be locked out of formal training if they had to pay to practice at, say, other studios. We see this as a way of empowering our peers who love art,” explains Imor, adding that theirs is both a business and social entrepreneurship.

CREATIVE

As the trained artist in the fold, Imor oversees most of the creative works, from photography, graphics, music and video production. He is the creative director and head of operations.

Drawing from her background in finance, Jael is in charge of the business aspect of the hub.

She explains: “We are yet to gain a strong financial foothold having started with very thin resources. It is my responsibility to see to it that our revenues are ploughed back into the business to stabilise its financial standing. I am happy to practice finance in this capacity and in an area I am strongly passionate about.”

Artiv Hub is a full time gig for Jael and Imor, and pays most of their bills. Their money, time and effort are exclusively invested in this cause.

While the cash inflow may not be as solid as they would want, the team is excited about the potential of their business. They hope to train artists, to support them through their nascent years and later work with them on various projects.

“The idea is to later link these artists with NGOs and other organisations in their different causes. This strategy may take long to work, but it is a sustainable approach that will eventually work for all the parties,” Jael says.

Three years after graduating, Jael could not have asked for a better opportunity. In art, she has found her true calling in helping young artists to discover themselves. Art gives her fulfilment that would only have been, at best, a pie in the sky had she chosen to solely pursue a career in finance.

Thanks to the hub, the duo has created networks with tens of artists, while consistently growing themselves in other areas of business and management. For them, this space offers its community of artists a home away from home, a sort of family.

The team dreams big about this establishment.

“We hope to see the centre grow and transform it into a premier creative hub that offers state-of-the-art services to budding and established artists as they pursue excellence on the creative space,” Imor says.