Strength in Numbers

The Renegade Artists Collection is creating its own path to success

Keith Twitchell spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.


Art has enriched human life going back to pre-history, appearing in its earliest forms as cave paintings and ritual figures. While we can only speculate on the status of those artists in their tribes, it is safe to say that throughout recorded history the path to being a successful artist is not an easy one.

“Every artist I know that’s successful works their butt off,” said Erin McNutt, local painter and founder of the Renegade Artists Collective. “Every one works seven days a week.”

Renegade is a collaboration among 12 local artists, working in a variety of mediums. The collective began taking shape in 2018. McNutt, frustrated by the scarcity of local artists being represented in local galleries, began interviewing artist friends and posting their stories in a blog. Expanding beyond her original circle, McNutt met painter Cheryl Grace, who suggested getting the featured artists together and doing a show.

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The first presentation was in 2019 and drew hundreds of people, but any momentum was lost when the pandemic shut down all in-person gatherings. Nevertheless, the collective remained connected and returned with a second successful show in March of this year.

The Renegade name reflects the group’s general outsider status on the local art scene.
“We wanted to convey that we were not in regular galleries, didn’t have regular gallery representation,” explained Grace. “As a group we wanted to do our own thing. By design, our shows have not had a theme. The artists present what they want to present.”

While this entrepreneurial approach provides freedom and control for the group, it is hard work, performed on a very limited budget. Each show requires promotion and publicity. A band is hired and beverages are served. Security is required. And the collective maintains a website (www.renegadeartistsneworleans.com) to help with promotion. Each artist makes a small financial contribution to cover the expenses.

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Just as important, each artist promotes the show through his/her social media.

“Everyone has a pretty big following on social media,” noted McNutt.

Indeed, social media is now vital to success in all kinds of creative fields, including music, writing and performance art. “Social media and marketing are just as important as the act of creating,” McNutt stated. “It’s difficult, because a lot of artists’ brains don’t work that way.”

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Of course, social media is also time-consuming: “I work on it every day,” noted Grace. And as seems to be the case with everything else social media-related, there are potential pitfalls as well; chief among them is having the artist’s work stolen.

There is a stereotype of artists who believe that simply because they create, the world owes them a living. McNutt and Grace acknowledge that there is some truth behind this but point out that art schools typically provide little training on how to make a living.

“Artists don’t get taught the business side in school,” McNutt observed. “From marketing to ethics, there’s very little attention to the common-sense, practical aspect of being an artist.”

“All the artists in our group understand the business aspect because they are professional artists,” added Grace. “Most of them have worked for over 20 years to build their followings.”

Many successful artists also rely on family members to help with the business side of things, or logistics, or other forms of support. “It’s rare to see an artist do everything,” said McNutt.

The collective itself is a support system for the participating artists. The shows bring significant numbers of new eyes to the work of each member and generate wider publicity. Many members find that they subsequently get new business beyond the shows themselves.

To build in this success, the collective is working to expand the number and geography of its shows. One is planned for Waveland, Mississippi, in October, and the Northshore is a top priority.

Virtually every artist alive creates for the satisfaction, the joy, the love of creating. That, however, does not put food on the table. The Renegade Artists Collective provides an opportunity for that creativity to flow freely while the creators make a living.

“It’s a survival thing!” concluded Grace.

 

Keith Twitchell’s blog, “Neighborhood Biz,” appears every Thursday on BizNewOrleans.com.

 

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