Meet Megan Hebert | New Orleans Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Hebert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, how has your background shaped the person you are today?

I’m 110% south Louisiana bred! I grew up on Lock One canal which is located in a small town about 45 minutes north of New Orleans called Pearl River. Growing up we visited New Orleans often, whether it was for family, Mardi Gras, music festivals etc. One of my favorite things to do as a child was ride up and down St. Charles Ave. in the back seat of my parent’s car and admire the beautiful mansions. I remember falling in love with the city and knew I would be a part of it one day.

My Grandpa was an artist and was the most talented person I’ve ever known. Artistry came so natural to him. He could sketch, paint, carve, build, and sculpt just about anything with his bare hands. He shared stories about painting portraits of people in Jackson Square when he was a younger man. He had a side hustle of painting New Orleans sceneries on the inside lining of wooden purses that were sold at the iconic DH Holmes which was once part of thriving Canal Street. He always incorporated his talent where he could and I admire that. Because of him, I knew I would be a New Orleans artist one day. He opened my eyes to the world of painting when I was a child while inspiring me to explore and share my talent. During high school, I realized I had potential to grow and once he died, I bought my first canvas. It’s been a long and slow journey, but I’m finally running my own business as a full time artist in one of the most amazing cities in the world!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

In 2017, I had a fulltime job and started painting on the side. I painted 5×7 quirky New Orleans homes that people ordered around Christmas. That grew a little each year and, in 2019, I painted my first commissioned piece. Once I shared that on social media, I realized there was (and is) a market from home portraits. People love to have their homes painted! I then continued to paint in my spare time. It wasn’t until 2020, when I got laid off, that I decided to go all in as a fulltime artist.

The transition was scary. Before Covid, I worked for a company as an Event Planner. Everything was structured with deadlines and I had to hold myself accountable for completing tasks usually within a 24-48 hour turnaround. I worked in hospitality for 10 years and if you know anything about the industry culture, whatever you’re working on, the client needs it yesterday. As I transitioned to working for myself, I struggled with the influx of business and timing. I was forced to shift my mentality from the “make it happen now” expectations of hospitality to the slightly slower, more thought filled artist’s world. Most artists are a one person show and handle all aspects of growing their business (marketing, client communication, branding, shipping, printings, etc.). It’s been a bit overwhelming undertaking all these tasks, but I am excited to learn new things each day. I’m doing what I love and making a living out of it which is something I never thought was possible!

I find joy in focusing on each buyer’s story and I feel that sets me apart. Whether a client simply needs a piece of New Orleans to take with them on a new journey or a couple wants to capture their life’s events or a homeowner wants a cherished memory of a home – I take pride in filling those dreams. I’ve painted several homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, including all photos. Through interactions and memories shared, I’ve been able to create paintings of those homes to fill a void and create tangible memories. These instances are the most fulfilling experiences. My grandparent’s home was also destroyed and painting it made me relive many childhood memories and brought me so much joy. It makes me happy to be able to provide that for others.

Since I’ve been full time, I’ve developed partnerships with local realtors. I paint home portraits as a closing gift for their clients. I’ve also dipped my toes in the bridal market, designing unique Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations that include images of their church and/or venue. BATCH, a National Corporate Gift Company licensed one of my pieces to be printed on various items as part of their custom curations of New Orleans gifts. Most recently, I launched my online shop where I sell a variety of the art I love to create! I hope to continue to grow and have my own gallery one day where you can come visit and learn my story through art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

This is a hard one because there are so many! Fortunately, we have a yearly calendar of festivities that offers a life style of constant celebration. But if I had to choose, I would tell a friend to come visit during Jazz Fest! Almost 2 weeks full of legendary New Orleans musicians (along with major headliners), award winning food and a community and culture you won’t experience anywhere else.

We’d start our day in our best fest gear and hop on bikes to cruise down Esplanade Ave. towards the fairgrounds. First stop is “Liuzza’s by the Track” for the best Bloody Mary in town and then head on in to the fest! Some of my favorite food stops are: Softshell Crab Po’boy, Cochon De Lait Po’boy (secret tip – make it a salad instead), Crawfish bread, Crawfish Monica, Ms. Linda’s Ya-Ka-Mein, finished with a Mango Freeze for dessert all while being washed down with some homemade Rosemint Tea! Did I mention we’re also dancing to all day performances with daiquiri’s in hand?

Once the fest is over, we continue the dancing into the surrounding neighborhood where a sea of Jazz Festers flood the streets to witness local performances on almost every porch, corner and driveway! Local artisans selling their crafts along with the delicious smell of crawfish boils! And if you’re with me, you WILL learn how to peel and eat crawfish. The sense of community is unreal and locals are always overflowing with southern hospitality. Once nightfall hits, if we’re not too exhausted…. we continue our night on to some venues across town for Jazz Fest After Hour shows. Dance/enjoy whatever energy we have left and then make our way home to rest and do it all again the next day!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As mentioned in the previous question, My Grandpa is my all time inspiration! In addition to him my friend Steph Bates ordered a commission painting from me. At the time, I had no idea what that even meant! I was so embarrassed to ask her, but she was kind enough to fill me in. She commissioned me to paint a portrait of her friend’s home who recently moved away from New Orleans and needed a little keepsake. Once I posted about it on social media, I received several orders and realized, wow there’s a market in this! Since then, I’ve built my business on home portraits and luckily, I have the most supportive friends and family who have helped me figure out how to reach success!

Website: www.meganhebertart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganhebert_art/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Megan-Hebert-Art-108686850957598/

Other: Shopify Online Store: meganhebertart.myshopify.com

Image Credits
First photo of me sitting in chair (with short hair) was taken by photographer – Keli Reule website: www.kelireule.com instagram: @kelireule