Suzanne's Mom's Blog

I am trying too figure out what the acronym RAW stands for. It’s an organization to promote young artists in many media.

“RAW:natural born artists is an independent arts organization, for artists, by artists. We’re a community made up of creative individuals across the nation. Our mission is to provide independent artists within the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.”

The website says that in 2003, Heidi Luerra moved from a small town to Los Angeles to become a fashion designer. But being a small fish in a big pond was a struggle. She met young people in other fields who were also struggling, and she had an idea for bringing them together.

“In 2005, Heidi Luerra threw her first multi-faceted showcase in Los Angeles. After much interest from the over 750 attendees that came to the event, she found her calling — to create a platform for the many people who are talented, yet go unnoticed.

“In 2009, equipped with a mission of bringing tools and resources to artists who were fighting the good fight on their own, RAW was born. After the first RAW event, a local web developer, Matthew Klahorst, approached Heidi about combining these art events with an online showcase for artists. From this collaboration came the next evolution of RAW —  promoting artists both online and offline.

“In 2011, they decided to take the concept beyond Southern California. RAW now hosts monthly showcases that spotlight indie talent in film, fashion, music, art, hair & makeup artistry, performing art and photography in 54 cities across the U.S and counting. By July 2012, RAW will be in 54 U.S. cities and Australia. RAW will launch in China and Europe in 2013.”

Read more. And if you are an artist in the first ten years of your career, consider joining the showcase.

Art: Joa Stenning