FrenchQuarter.com: Arts for the People

French Quarter One-of-a-Kind Series: Arts for the People

From Impressionist painter Edgar Degas to Mississippi wild man Walter Anderson, to the madly skewed vision of Michaeloupolos, New Orleans has a long tradition of embracing artists and craftspeople of all temperaments, expressions, and abilities. It could in fact be called the ultimate bohemian city. Not unlike Paris, New Orleans’ artists, jewelry designers, painters and sculptors line the sultry streets and sell their wares in colorful markets brimming with people, music and food. But perhaps the best way to see New Orleans arts is to meet the artists up close and personal at two innovative co-ops designed to bring art, and artists, back to the people.

RHINO Contemporary Craft Company
One such place, RHINO (Right Here In New Orleans) Contemporary Craft Company, has combined fine art and crafts in a welcoming storefront for more than 15 years, a not-so-secret arts destination for many locals and returning visitors alike. In a mass market world, RHINO artists use fine materials and a masterful hand to create unique works of art. “Our goal has always been to make real, handcrafted objects available to everyone,” says Denise Bizot, a metalworker artist featured at RHINO. “Society seems to be coming full circle and is moving away from buying mass produced items. People want something that is well made, and made with love.”

While all of the more than 65 artists currently displaying at RHINO make items available for sale in the gallery and store, they also value an integral part of RHINO’s goal - customer interaction. “This is not just a drop off store for our artists. We all work here as a team, which gives the customer, as well as the artist, the opportunity to speak about their work,” says Bizot “Buying an object means so much more when you get to speak with the artist who created it. We have regulars, both local and visitors, coming in all the time to buy and speak with different artists each time they come in.”

Whether investing in a new work of art or simply stopping by to watch artists at work, a visit to RHINO is an enlightening experience for all visitors. According to Bizot, “Customers get a real idea of what it’s like to create for a living and not just a hobby from our artists.” Sharing the arts, one customer at a time.

RHINO Contemporary Craft Company
633 South Peters Street
504-569-8191

RHINO Gallery, Canal Place
333 Canal Street
540-523- 7945

D’Alley, Inc.
A storefront, showplace, gallery, and studio-in-one perhaps best describes the scene at D’Alley, Inc., or Dutch Alley Artist Co-op. A flurry of sight, sound, color and activity draws visitors to this busy corner of the French Market. “Our group currently consists of approximately 30 artists exhibiting inside our gallery as well as set up outside,” says jewelry artist and co-op spokesperson Anne Timmons-Harris. “It’s very lively in here. The activity of art is very attractive. People are always amazed, and sometimes overwhelmed, by all the things they discover in D’Alley.”

Reflecting the bustling and exotic nature of the surrounding French Market, D’Alley is a popular destination for visitors to the city, as well as a place for locals to show off some local artistic flavor to their visiting family and friends. “We feature art exclusively from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, so it’s a great place to visit and see what artists in this area are currently doing,” says Timmons-Harris.

This co-op does more than expose visitors and customers to emerging and established local artists. This co-op also offers a stimulating environment for the artists themselves. “One good thing about being a member of the Dutch Alley Artist Co-op is that you do get to speak to people about your work, and you also get to hear the other artists talk about their work. It’s hard for us, and for our customers, not to be inspired in this colorful and energetic space. You can’t help but get better as a person and as an artist.”

D’Alley, Inc.
912 North Peters Street
504-412-9220
www.dalleyinc.com

Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.