About
The Creative Alliance of New Orleans was conceived in 2005 as a professional association of local artists and cultural practitioners of all disciplines to elevate awareness among regional policy makers and the business community of the intrinsic and essential value that creative and cultural workers and products bring to the identity and economy of New Orleans. Before and after Hurricane Katrina, founder Jeanne Nathan organized a series of meetings including a representative of each creative discipline to collaboratively formulate the role and mission of what became the Creative Alliance of New Orleans (CANO), a Louisiana nonprofit incorporated in January 2008. The current mission is to provide training, education, and information for creative artists, cultural producers and the community, to protect our cultural legacy and to promote the revitalization of the city as a cultural and economic center.
In 2009 CANO successfully planned, developed and managed a temporary cultural space in New Orleans, known as the Studio at Colton. With significant support from the Recovery School District (RSD), CANO repurposed a vacant public school building into a multi-tenant facility that provided studio and office spaces for over 160 creative professionals and cultural community organizations. In exchange for the space, tenants provided project-based arts training and educational programs to public school students (100+) enrolled in RSD schools and as well as adults. Artists formed collaborative relationships that resulted in interdisciplinary projects, and innovations in individuals’ art practices. Through their studios and an on-site gallery, artists were able to present works of art to the public. Theatrical and musical performances were successfully staged in the auditorium, produced by both tenants and outside production companies. The facility was an official exhibition site during the 2009 Prospect 1 International Arts Biennial. Close to 20,000 arts-oriented tourists and residents visited Studio at Colton, demonstrating CANO’s success at engaging the public to learn about and support local artists and cultural organizations. CANO’s Studio at Colton was received with overwhelming enthusiasm by New Orleans artists, stakeholders, and residents, as well as public officials, and local and national news media.
Art Home New Orleans is an annual event open to the public one weekend a year as well as a year round earned income program for CANO. Staring in 2010, Art Home New has organized over 70 locations of private art collections and artists’ studios. Last year approximately 250 people participated in this popular program which allowed visitors a glimpse into both the process of how art is created as well as the life of a work of art once it is bought by a collector. The major goal of this program is to encourage participants to collect local art and to support their local artist community. Over $5,000.00 in art was purchased due to this program in 2011 alone. CANO regularly presents panel discussions in conjunction with this event such as 2011’s “Conversation on Collecting” which assembled 8 stellar artists, collectors, curators and dealers such as Jonathan Ferrara, Amy Mackie, Ron Bechet, Robert Tannen and others to explore strategies for collecting.These panel discussions are free to all participants who purchased tickets to Art Home New Orleans. This program is also an earned income program for CANO.
In 2010 CANO focused on public education and facilitating networking between artists and the business, civic and public communities. Over 80 arts organizations were convened in “21 for the 21st Century” to prepare and endorse a creative economy platform for the last municipal election. The consensus helped candidates to understand the needs and aspirations of the city’s cultural producers such as protecting the city’s traditional culture, welcoming cultural innovation, and growing the ability of all to earn a living. Most mayoral and council candidates endorsed the platform publicly. The platform informed the Mayor’s transition plan for the cultural economy. CANO in no way endorsed any particular candidate.
In August 2010 on the fifth Anniversary of Katrina, CANO convened the “K5 Roundtable” a discussion between cultural leaders, artists and stakeholders on the role that arts, culture, and creative industries have played in the rebuilding of New Orleans neighborhoods and economy. The roundtable was presented to national media and the public.
In 2011 CANO focused on planning and developing a Multi-Tenant Arts Facility in the 8th Ward, a underserved neighborhood hard hit by Katrina. This facility will provide offices, studios, rehearsal, performance and exhibition space for small and mid-sized arts organizations (nonprofits) and independent artists as well as the Faubourg Marigny Neighborhood Association, a partner in the development. These shared resources will allow organizations and artists to organize their work more effectively and better serve their constituents and communities. The development of the 8th Ward CCC will provide an economy of scale for small non-profit administrative needs, and will be an important contributing factor to the success of these organizations. Junebug Productions, CubaNOLA, ArtSpot Productions, Crescent City Youth Theatre, Mondo Bizarro, Stage to Stage, Pelican Bomb, Contemporary Visual Arts Association of New Orleans (CVAANO) and other arts organizations have expressed interest in renting office, rehearsal, studio, and performance space. CANO has partnered with the National Performance Network (NPN), and Young Audiences to develop the project.
Additionally in 2011, CANO designed a professional development workshop for creative and cultural producers. In August, 2011 the Andy Warhol Foundation confirmed that CANO had received a grant to host the Creative Capital Workshop. This workshop lasts three days and presents intensive training in strategic planning, funding, budgeting, marketing and promoting artists’ work. CANO plans on using elements from this highly lauded workshop to further develop our local professional development pilot program. We plan to offer this in-depth program at least once a year.
