Local artists bring tourism dollars to town
Published Sunday, October 14, 2007
NATCHEZ — There’s no question in Conner Burns’ mind — art is business.
“Whenever you say ‘artist,’ you can substitute ‘small business owner,’” he said.
The business of art can bring tourism dollars, make a town a destination and bring a community closer together. And Natchez appears to be on its way toward becoming an arts town.
Burns, an artist who works with clay and teaches pottery at Natchez Clay on Franklin Street, knows the benefits of having artists in a community.
Nationally, art is a $13.8 billion industry, according to the Craft Organization Development Association. And that’s just visual art, not including galleries, performing arts or craft schools.
Along with putting their own money into the community, artists bring outside money into a community, both selling their art and drawing tourists, he said.
Burns often receives calls from people interested in viewing his art. They come to town especially to see his work.
What might make Natchez more of an art destination would be to create an art tour linking artists’ studios and exhibits, he said.
“People who come to Natchez just for the history might only come once,” Burns said. “But those who come to see art come back more than once because there’s always something new and different. People need an excuse to visit. The more artists there are, the more reasons to come.”
Art pays back
Culture and art is a huge component of the state’s cultural economy, said Allison Winstead, Mississippi Arts Council’s arts-based community development director.
“It’s part of economic development,” she said. “Our story is what brings people to Mississippi. It’s a community’s voice.”
When people visit an area, they want to see museums, art galleries and architecture, she said.
“It’s really opening up thoughts of thinking as art as more than just a painting on the wall,” Winstead said.
Not only do the arts bring tourists to visit, they bring people to stay, she said.
“When people are looking to move somewhere, they want art and soul and some sort of basis to really add flavor to their lives,” she said. “And that really starts with artists.”
Along with bringing in dollars, art adds to a community’s identity, she said.
“Nothing brings a community together like an afternoon concert series in the park or taking a pottery class with your next-door neighbor,” she said. “It’s ways of connecting to people. Arts break down that wall better than anything else.”
What it takes
In order to attract tourists, a community has to be an artist-friendly place. Natchez has a good start, Burns said.
“We are in the beginning,” he said. “We have a beautiful town and things artists like — an attractive town, a friendly town that’s supportive of new people.”
In order to keep artists here, and, thus, attract art tourists, a town has to be supportive of that particular breed of small business owners.
The more artists in an area and the more the community becomes known as an artist-friendly town, the more it will attract artists, he said.
One thing that will attract artists is for residents to be conscious that artists are here, he said.
“If you go out and buy a wedding present to send to someone, you could buy a generic gift, or you could buy something made by an artist in town,” he said.
That small act both supports local artists and spreads the word about Natchez, he said.
Another part of supporting artists is providing opportunity for artists to grow as business owners.
“They need to be able to set up business easily,” Burns said. “Artists are good at what they make. They’re not necessarily good at doing business.”
That’s where the rest of the community can come in. Classes such as the upcoming “Arts Mean Business” workshop conducted by the Mississippi Arts Commission can provide artists with the tools they need. The free workshop will be hosted at Copiah-Lincoln Community College Nov. 6.
The workshop started as a grant-funded program to help artists on the coast recover after Hurricane Katrina, teaching business skills they needed to be successful.
The classes worked so well, the Mississippi Arts Commission expanded the program to areas around the state.
“What came out of those training sessions was information, and people got so much out of it, we had people coming back multiple times,” Winstead said.
Grass roots growth
Natchez already has a good start as an artistic town, some gallery owners said.
With buildings reminiscent of New Orleans and a relatively low cost of living, Natchez is a budding art community.
“Downtown is beautiful, and that’s part of the town’s charm,” said Marbeth Schon, who co-owns M. Schon gallery with her husband Andrew Tilden.
Schon said that the architecture of downtown Natchez and its natural beauty offer a constant inspiration for artists.
“This is a place that people want to come,” she said.
In fact Schon and her husband set up shop in Natchez after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their business in Biloxi. They were originally attracted to Natchez’s downtown.
“It’s not too big and it’s not too small. It’s got friendly people who like art,” Tilden said.
And while the art business may not be too big or to small in Natchez some think it has room to grow.
“We are under-promoted in the art field, but we have so many good artists here,” said Katie Curlee, owner of the Audubon Gallery.
Curlee said some tourists come to Natchez unaware of the art scene and are pleasantly surprised by what they find.
“After that they just keep coming back,” she said.
And the small but growing art community in Natchez has attracted some new comers.
Chris and Marina Cavette are opening a framing shop in Natchez. They feel there is enough need in the area to warrant the shop. The Cavettes are moving from Malibu, Calif.
“This is a small community, but they have money here. People from California come here for art,” Marina Cavette said.
Everyone in the art community wants Natchez to grow by attracting new artists.
Tilden thinks an art museum is the answer.
“A museum could really make us an art destination,” Tilden said. “We have some spaces downtown that would be great. If artists had a place to put their work more of them would come here.”
Natchez artist Ken Wesley has tried to sell his art on the Web, but customers seem to want to see paintings in person.
That points to a need to bring people to the area to sell local artists’ work, Wesley said.
“It would be great if we could have a monthly event where artists could set up and show what they have to offer,” he said. “If Natchez could advertise itself as an art colony, I think that could bring a lot of the attention to the area.”