Lucky Beads

What a New Orleans Legend Teaches Us About Artists

In the editorial in Kolaj #23, Ric Kasini Kadour tells the story of The Bead Lady of New Orleans and considers what lessons her story has for artists. He writes,

“Street people and artists are two archetypes that society imbues with magic, probably because, like The Bead Lady, street people and artists use mystique as a defense against ‘petty meanness’….Both are living outside of societal norms. Both struggle to eke out a living. Artwork is often sold like a ‘lucky bead’, with promises of return on investment and the potential for fame and celebrity.”

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Image:
Lucky Beads (detail)
by Ric Kasini Kadour
30″x24″
collage, archival print
2018