Iron Road Gallery
Corey Stover doesn’t understand how he got to be so lucky. “I just want to thank my grandmother; Evelyn Stover and my mother; Kathy Stover,” said Corey. “They both believe in me and I want to encourage the rest of the young people out there to go ahead, hold onto their dream, nothing is impossible.” Corey, 20, now owns and operates the Iron Road Gallery and Trading Post currently located in the Lakota Trade Center in Kyle, SD, formerly known as Spirit Horse Gallery.
“We named the gallery after my grandmother’s grandmother, Elizabeth Iron Road. To me, that name is sacred and I want to honor it in a sacred way. I want the gallery to represent what the name Iron Road implies, the traditional trading post and modern at the same time; the strength of the traditional art mixed with native contemporary art.
“I’ve always had an interest in native American art. It makes me feel good to be able to help our local artists and at the same time, share their talents with others who will come to the gallery.
Besides buying and selling arts and crafts, he also sells supplies. “My goal is to have everything our artists may need right here in Kyle and save everyone a trip to Rapid City,” said Corey.
Corey is receiving business and marketing advice from the Wawokiye Business Institute of the Lakota Fund. “Kim Tilsen is my coach and mentor,” says Corey. “She has helped me in many ways since the gallery opened in February of 2004 and will continue to mentor me as I need it.
I’m a long way from where I thought I would be. My plan was to go to college but this opportunity came up and I jumped on it. Currently I am participating in the homebound program to graduate high school in May at Little Wound School in Kyle.
“I am getting my website ready to also begin selling online,” said Corey. “I plan to market the gallery to the world using the Internet.”
“I know that I’m young and people may not take me seriously but I want to assure my customers that I’m a very serious young man and takes my future very serious as well. I’m learning and have set some goals for the gallery and looking at every aspect of the business very closely.”
“I want to set an example for young entrepreneurs on the reservation to go after your dreams of running your own business. We are descendents of entrepreneurs as traditionally our people were entrepreneurs. They did it and we could do it too.”
Excepts from Lakota Country Times