Meet Terrance Osborne | Artist/Gallery Owner

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

Hi Terrance, what matters most to you?
The most important principle for every creative person is to be true to your art. Pursuing a career doing work that has nothing to do with being creative is a death sentence. Artist are not meant to sit in a cubicle and punch keys all day. In college some make the mistake of majoring in a non-art related subject. They graduate and discover years later that they are unhappy in their career and that they’ve wasted time and energy. Then they do their art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When you were a kid with a passion for something, typically, something else Hass to suffer. In my youth I did my art all the time but my social life suffered. I usually had only one friend. As an adult I realize that it was the price I had to pay and it’s worked out for me. And all the brother my mom and older brother and stepfather did art as a hobby so I picked the habit up from them. As a young man I went to a precollege art school to study and eventually went to college and got a BA in fine art. In college I got married and was raising a kid so I had to provide for my family which turn out to be a huge motivation to keep a steady income with my art. When my work wasn’t selling, In my desperation, I would walk the city with prints of my work and give them to frame shops and galleries until they caught on that my work could sell. Eventually my work was all over New Orleans. After college I became an art teacher at an elementary school but years later Hurricane Katrina took that job away. I moved my family to Georgia but New Orleans jobs kept me busy. I created a series of Hurricane related work which got a slue of attention and lead to jobs with Nike, NBA, Coca Cola and 5 of the most collected poster in the world – The Jazz & Heritage Festival Posters.
Eventually we opened Terrance Osborne Gallery. The gallery appeals to all the senses and is a place where visitors can get a true sense of what New Orleans feels like. When guest look at my work I want them to feel overwhelmed in the best way. My art is vibrant, inviting and feels good to look at. It’s all to make my guest feel welcomed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite street to hang on is Magazine st. The Vintage is a great spot to grab a drink. They are heavy handed on their drinks so you’ll get more for your money. The ambience is laid back and Thor beignets are the best in town. Next we’d go to The Daily Beet. It’s most vegan food (I’m vegan) and everything is always fresh.
When night falls we’d head to Presevation Hall in French Quarter to listen to live music and have more drinks. We’d end the night on Frenchman street visiting the jazz clubs and bars plus there is a jumping artist market smack in the heart of the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife, Stephanie Osborne, has been my business partner and audience through everything painting/project that I’ve done. We’ve been together for 25 years. She’s helped me negotiate deals, create contracts and has remained my toughest critic and biggest fan. . Over the years we’ve raise 3 kids who are all artists.

Website: terranceosborne.com

Instagram: @terranceosborne

Linkedin: @terranceosborne

Twitter: @terranceosborne

Facebook: @terranceosborne

Youtube: Terrance Osborne

Other: I’m on Instagram more than any other social media… @terranceosborne

Image Credits
All my images