New Orleans is a city brimming with artists. It has been a magnet for creative types for centuries, and today is no different. 

I had the opportunity to talk to some of the contributing minds of our thriving community, and find out where their passions came from, how they have struggled, and what unites their work in the end.

Despite coming from disparate and diverse backgrounds, I saw a theme in their words; a collective desire to give voice to stories that lack a platform, stretch the bounds of what those stories can accomplish and who they can touch. 

These creators use their craft to collectively unite us in the beauty of their work, in the truth of their struggles, and in the openness of their commentary. And for that, I see them as leaders. 

Here are their snapshots.

- Sabine Lawless

Photos by Achilles Lawless // Interviews by Sabine Lawless

“Me getting on stage and knowing what that feels like is one thing, but seeing a group of young boys that I taught, really own their performance and really feel pride from that… that’s when I truly saw how transformative dance can be in people’s lives, especially young people. Living in New Orleans, (kids) are surrounded by music and dancing to it just requires your body. In that way it’s probably one of most accessible forms of art… it’s such an important medium. I want to see a generation of black boys that aren’t afraid to dance, regardless of what they hear or what they’re told about who can dance and what type of dance that person is allowed to do.”

- Randall Rosenberg

“I am super proud to represent a beautiful (Polynesian) culture, yet not falling into any category of ethnic familiarity. It has made it challenging to find a place within the general public's acceptance or understanding… But (as artists) we are creating space that allows people to exist and flourish and live, outside of a system that was never built with their best interests in mind anyway. So, I have made my own space that tends to fall between the lines. That’s were I’d rather be anyway.”

- Tiare Maumasi 

“A lot of my goal in burlesque is just existing in hetero-normative spaces, and being like 'Hey, this is a trans body, right in front of your face'… and whether or not people or the audience find that attractive, they still may have discovered something- that these are valid bodies, these are beautiful bodies. I want to uplift people in queer communities everywhere, and in my community.”

- Arianna Amour

“I believe this city has an extraordinary spirit, one that’s been fed on diversity and tolerance since it’s birth… Having been born in Cuba has been a tremendous blessing to me for many reasons. The music, the architecture, the culture in general is so similar to New Orleans that for me it was almost a seamless transition. My film, (The Caterpillar and the Butterfly, currently in post production) uses Carnival as a back drop to tell a very intimate tale of survival and the resilience of the Cuban people. It is a window into my heritage and roots.”

- William Sabourin O'Reilly