Reno Navales Discusses “Renowned,” a New Austin Art Magazine

I first met Reno Navales a little over a year ago and quickly, he became a close friend. He was always talking about creative endeavors: making music, painting, collage, and everything in between. A few months into knowing him, he released his first art magazine, titled Renowned, which featured several Austin-based artists but also reached across the U.S. and Canada, including well over 60 participants. I looked through the magazine and knew that this was something that deserved more attention.

Navales wanted to provide an accessible avenue for artists to showcase their work. While this started as a project focused on his peers, it eventually expanded across the country. As the world becomes more online, it becomes increasingly important to look at objects that ground us. The artists and creators that Navales showcase are exceptionally diverse and talented. The demographic background of those featured in Renowned mostly comprises students, fresh grads, and people who do art on the side. It is an art magazine for the ordinary person who might not have an art education. However, there is exceptional beauty in the ordinary. I love Renowned because it is a reflection of perspectives from people who are like me, and probably like you as well. Navales is preparing to release the second edition of his magazine. Here is a peek under the hood.

Isabelle Lho (IL): Tell me a little about yourself! 

Reno Navales (RN): My name is Reno Navales. I am a Pisces, I am 27 years of age, and I was born and raised in Salinas, California, which is a small farming town. My mom and dad always encouraged me to be creative. My art teachers in school were not always a big fan of my work, but then I developed a sense that art is subjective. I encouraged myself to see the perfections in imperfections, and so I liked the abstractness of art.

When I was in middle school, I had my own art brand, where I made t-shirts. The t-shirt depicted a man made of money, which represented the capitalist nature of society. In high school I got more into crafting. I made friendship bracelets for my friends, and started painting, drawing, and doing some poetry as well. College is when I first got into photography. When I moved to Texas, I started working with one of my best friends and one of my creative partners, Joseph Ewing. He taught me about painting and taught me how to take my art to the next level. One thing that inspired me about Joseph was that he always wore the same pair of pants when he painted, and he wiped the paint on the pants.

IL: What inspired you to create Renowned? 

RN: I always wanted my own art in magazines and galleries. I knew it was going to be costly, so I decided I would create my own magazine and put my painted jeans in it. I wanted to include all my friends who, while they have real talent, don’t really have the money or resources to showcase their art. I wanted to give them a platform and a push to showcase their work and give them a voice, because I believe they deserve one. I wanted to create a magazine that is inclusive. I always say it is an art magazine by artists, for artists. Good art is good art. Even if I don’t like the art, it doesn’t mean it’s not going to be included. 

IL: How did it first begin? 

RN: The magazine first began as a way to showcase two pairs of jeans that I had made. There needed to be more content than just the two pairs of jeans, so why not reach out to my friends who also made art? Initially I wanted to get 20 or 30 artists, but then I thought, why not make it bigger? One thing that inspired me to make the magazine as big as it is was the word “zine.” My friends always said, “I want to be in your zine.” I think a zine has 50 pages or so, but I wanted it to be a big publication.

I had a neighbor, Abby Raffle, who was interested in being an editor, which is why the magazine is called the “raffle edition.” She helped me design and put the magazine together. Even though we had the design, we needed to put it into print. So, I brought on one of the artists who was interested in helping worked with several print shops in NYC to get it printed and shipped to Austin. There were four people working with me: Chris Adams, who helped with outreach, Marie Bennett, Patrice, and Estelle, who helped to edit it. 

IL: What makes a good artist? 

RN: My opinion is that a good artist is an artist who is honest with themselves and can challenge themselves and/or the viewer. 

IL: What are the types of artists you would like to work with in the future? 

RN: I would like to work with more cartoonists (I love cartoons) and more people in film. I think it would be cool to include stills, especially movie stills. When I make the digital version of the magazine, I’d like to work with people in film, as they could add more to the digital version. Maybe we could also add 3D glasses into the print magazine to make it more interactive. It would also be great to work with another type of medium, like poetry. We didn’t get a lot of poems in the first or second magazine, but I’m thankful for all of the 270+ submissions we received. 

IL: Is there anyone you look up to in terms of art magazines?

RN: I look up to Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, which is by far the one company brand that truly inspires me. It’s my favorite art gallery and I am always impressed by the artists. It’s the first place that made me think about getting more involved — either creating something like a magazine, or turning my house into an art gallery. I started collecting pieces of my friends’ artwork. I took photos of the artwork and realized it could be a magazine. 

Another place is the Blanton Museum of Art; I spent a lot of my time at UT, going to the Blanton. I’m also inspired by National Geographic, especially the older issues, and Architectural Digest.

I’ve also been reading a lot of old yearbooks and using the stylings of old yearbooks as inspiration. I think of them as time capsules. When artists ask me what type of art they should include, I tell them to include something that makes them happy. I want them to look back and see their incremental improvements over time, throughout their lives. 

IL: Would this be something you want to do full-time?

RN: Yes, I would like to do this full-time. I believe that being able to run my own company and being in charge of my own life would be a dream come true, and that includes showcasing other people’s lives. Since being laid off from my position as a Senior Program Associate at Newchip, a venture capitalist firm, this has turned into a full-time endeavor. Hopefully, this can be something I can live off of. 

IL: Where do you see this going? 

RN: I hope that Renowned becomes a formidable voice or force in the art world and is able to help artists get into galleries, help them publish their own work, help them get access to better deals (such as supplies), and help them find galleries in America, if not the world. I’d also like to expand beyond art into music, movies, and to all forms of entertainment. I think it would be cool to turn Renowned into an entertainment company to get as many artists seen and heard as possible.

IL: Any final thoughts? 

RN: It would not be possible to have this platform or magazine without the support and trust of the people around me. If you want to do something, go out and do it. Figure it out on the way.

Thank you to Glasstire for letting me have an interview in the magazine. 

The physical copy of Renowned will be available for purchase in early December, while the digital version is still in the works. You can support local artists by purchasing or participating in any events Renowned throws throughout the year.