Although the picture of Doris Jadan driving around in her golf cart with her adored dog Mooshka is still fresh in many residents’ minds, the museum she created to honor her late husband, Ivan Jadan, the famous Russian tenor has been closed for almost two years.
The Ivan Jadan Museum, which has been closed since Doris Jadan passed away on December 20, 2004, is scheduled to re-open by the end of the year, according to Elroy Sprauve, member of the Ivan Jadan Museum Board of Directors.
“The board has met several times since Ms. Jadan has passed and we are working to open the museum,” he said. “We are hoping to have it open before the end of the year.”
Jadan Property
The future of Jadan’s estate, which covers a substantial portion of land overlooking Cruz Bay harbor, is linked to the museum, Sprauve explained.
“It’s all part of the museum complex,” he said. “The land is part of the property of the museum, which Ms. Jadan left for the benefit of the people of St. John. We will not subdivide or sell that property.”
The Ivan Jadan Museum Board of Directors is a non-profit organization which was created by the late Doris Jadan to control the Jadan estate. Board members are Sprauve, Madeline Sewer, Janet Burton, Myron Jackson and Tregenza Roach, who have the responsibility to oversee the museum and roughly one-acre of land.
Respecting Jadan’s Wishes
Although board members have not set a date for their next meeting, Sprauve said the group must come to an agreement about the use of the land.
“Ms. Jadan’s wishes were to leave the land for the benefit of the people, and we are going to respect her wishes,” he said.
