“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new”

For those who haven’t already heard, NoMa Flea is going to be a bit different this Friday— all the vendors at this weekly funky and fun evening artisan market will be under 18! Noma Flea Jr. is September 9th, and Jasper got to sit down with one of the featured artists, Lillian Hauck (11), and her mother, Marnnie Hauck, about Lillian’s art, entrepreneurial spirit, and what inspires her.

Lillian started painting regularly at 8 years old, but it was last year when her identity as an artist really began to blossom. “Lillian’s first public debut was March 2021 and she made content for weeks beforehand, was involved in every detail that day, and has had the bug ever since,” Marnnie says, “This event at NoMa Warehouse will be her 4th.”

Beyond the fun and pizazz of making art for events, Lillian’s mother says that the process calms her, and painting colorful pieces brings her joy: “I like making things I see as colorful as possible,” Lillian shares.

Mother and daughter say that the girl’s paternal grandfathers, all the artists who come to Noma, to the Soda City Market, and their neighbors are Lillian’s greatest inspiration, with a particular emphasis on their community.

“I would honestly say one of the biggest influences for Lillian is the neighborhood that we live in. We moved here in 2017. The overall sense of community that is created here I think, combined with how the kids are intentionally being raised, has been a game changer. Kitty corner to where we live is Flavia Lovatelli, a sustainable materials artist, and she is like our adopted fairy godmother. For years now she would make little trinkets for them, and in turn the kids would make art for her,” Marnnie details, “and then the Art Crawl started here in our neighborhood in 2019. Lily was so blown away. It made a huge impression on her. Then NOMA Warehouse opened in 2021, and even more community and art came into her life.”

As her mother, Marnnie is dedicated to supporting Lillian in her endeavors, emphasizing the hard work her daughter puts into her art: “This, in every way, is all Lillian, a quiet human, though not a wallflower, who doesn't generally like to draw attention to herself, putting herself out there for the world!!!”

Even when Lillian isn’t painting, her activities and hobbies are still rooted in creativity and making. Marnnie shares that, “Outside of painting Lily is at all times crafting fashion wear for everyone, and thing, in the house; her room always looks like confetti fabric land and no one can EVER find scissors.”

When reflecting on her role, Marnnie thinks about her own childhood and the future ahead. “My influence here is that I believe it is super important to teach kids that they don't have to follow a traditional path to support themselves and be happy in their adulthood,” she intimates, “My generation was rarely taught that we had options. I'm a huge fan of entrepreneurs and self-sourcing in general and the kids getting exposure to that in all forms is invaluable to me.”

And what advice could a young, creative entrepreneur give to young and old artists alike?

“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new,” Lillian effuses, “And don't worry about what other people might want—paint what you want!”

You can see more of, and purchase, Lillian’s work at NoMa Flea Jr. this Friday, September 9th at 6pm.

Noma Warehouse founder Mazie Cook doesn’t believe in the notion of a starving artist.

Inspired by Andy Warhol’s factory, she created a space to start changing that narrative. Partnering with her mother-in-law, Beth Lawson, and sister-in-law, Cara Lawson, Cook opened Noma Warehouse in mid-March of this year.

The warehouse started out as something that could only happen “in a dream world,” according to Cook. Beth Lawson was wrapping up nearly 25 years in the tech industry and Cook had recently graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in studio art. Cook found the property and reimagined it as an artist co-op and event space.

“I live in a dream world,” Beth says, so she pushed Cook to take the plunge.

With Beth handling the business side of things, Cook donning the title of creative director and Cara, who is a senior at the Darla Moore School of Business, managing the finances, the trio became the perfect team.

Walking into the warehouse, you’re first greeted with a small, chicly decorated shop that features everything from clothing to candles — all of which are locally made or curated. Walk down a short hallway and you’ll find yourself in a sprawling studio space, complete with a high ceiling, long, classroom-style tables, and, most importantly, a coffee station.

The four pillars of Noma Warehouse are work, shop, sell, and gather. A close fifth might be working well with others, or more bluntly, as their code of conduct says, “don’t be an asshole.”

The women believe in embracing “what feels right in the space” according to Cook. During the week, members (who pay monthly fees based on needed studio hours and amenities) use the warehouse space to make and store their art. On Friday nights, the space is transformed into a market with around 15-20 vendors, according to Cara.

On Saturday, June 19th, Noma Warehouse hosted the Summer Sol•Fest, featuring a slew of local performers and, to highlight Juneteenth, several local Black-owned businesses. This week the venue will also be hosting a summer art camp for kids.

So, while the space may wear many hats, the women want to focus on supporting art as a profession. “I wanna reteach the community that art is valuable ,” says Cook. “I think using the term ‘starving artist’ is derogatory … it’s bogus and so sometimes you just need to hear that.”

The four pillars of Noma Warehouse are work, shop, sell, and gather. A close fifth might be working well with others, or more bluntly, as their code of conduct says, “don’t be an asshole.”

With community being one of the priorities for the space, Beth says younger artists reach out to the older artists for advice and feedback. Cook notes that they have a diverse group of people of different ages, backgrounds, and methods of work. “It all lives here very peacefully and I think allows for a lot of growth. That’s been really neat to watch,” Cook says.

According to Beth, art brings them together. Witnessing that “family” develop is watching her vision come to life. In an art world that can be competitive, Cook notes the graciousness of the artists that frequent the warehouse — they create an open, sharing community.

The women operate business in a way they would want for themselves. In the so-called dream world that they’ve created, the space is a blank canvas — it just takes artists to expand the vision.

by Stephanie Allen

Small Artists, Big Creativity: Lillian Hauck and NoMa Flea Jr.

Recognizing Art in Everything: Noma Warehouse provides workspace and community for all kinds of artists

The four pillars of Noma Warehouse are work, shop, sell, and gather. A close fifth might be working well with others, or more bluntly, as their code of conduct says, “don’t be an asshole.”