RBA Creative – Randolph Belle
#045 – Today we visit with Randolph Belle from RBA Creative. RBA Creative is a storefront in the Laurel District that Randolph opened with his wife Erica in 2017. It serves several purposes – a gallery, a photography studio, and a co-working space for creative businesses. This is not their first rodeo – Randolph has had several spaces around Oakland going back to the early 90s when he first brought his airbrush business across the bridge from San Francisco.
The primary business is the art gallery. They have six member artists, all Black women – that’s just kind of how it worked out. They don’t curate the work, they encourage the artists to promote their own businesses. RBA Creative supports the artists’ ability to run a gallery out of the space, without the expense of maintaining a gallery.
“We’ve got a whole wall that rolls and uncovers a space that is a photography studio. And so those folks are typically doing portraiture work, editorial work, fashion work. We’ve done some music and video work. But again, it’s a way for these creative professionals to have a home base, without the expense of procuring their own facility.”
RBA Creative hosts a monthly exhibit on each 2nd Saturday where the community is invited in to view the artwork and visit with the artists. The Laurel merchant district hosts “Live in the Laurel” on each 3rd Saturday, giving artists a shot at high foot traffic. The artists also have the ability to host solo events if they want to organize something and tell their collectors to come on a particular day, just centered around themselves. RBA creative works to increase traffic not only in their own gallery, but in the neighborhood at large as well.
“we’re really just trying to get activity, one activity in the space, but two, activity in the neighborhood because it is a merchant district and you know, all cities need thriving merchant districts and small businesses.”
Be Sure to listen to the whole interview to hear Randolph’s wise business tips for new entrepreneurs – one piece of advice is “just go for it and don’t look back because if you look back, you will certainly see what is chasing you.”
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