Gallery Together presents:
“NOU LA: A PORTRAIT EXHIBITION BY ROU LEONARD”
Thursday, November 5 | 5pm - 9pm | 210 Seattle
NOU LA.
a portrait exhibition by rou leonard.
A collection of people we weren't supposed to meet, places we weren't supposed to go, and moments we weren't supposed to see.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, photographer Rou Leonard's journey has taken him from NYU to Paris Fashion Week and eventually to the Pacific Northwest, where an unfamiliar city became home through the community he built along the way.
NOU LA., Haitian Creole for "We Are Here," brings together years of editorial fashion photography, intimate portraits, and moments of human connection captured across cities, cultures, and creative disciplines.
This exhibition is not simply a retrospective of photographs. It is a reflection on belonging, unlikely journeys, and the people who make the unfamiliar feel familiar.
It is about giving people their flowers. About finding beauty in the unexpected. About remembering the people and moments that helped make us who we are.
But more than anything, it's about what happens when people come together to create something worth remembering.
Every photograph started with a connection. Every connection created a story. And there are still so many stories left to tell.
So, what should we create together?
THE EXPERIENCE
Featured Art.
5pm - 9pm
Portrait exhibition by Rou Leonard
Sounds by Naomi
Floral artistry by Georgia
Ceramic art by Veronica
Tattoo art by Nicol
Drinks by E3 Wines
Interactive Photo & Video Portrait Experience by Rou Leonard.
The Portrait Station.
Your moment in front of the lens. Step into the frame for your own full-length, editorial-style portrait. Come dressed as yourself, leave feeling like art.
The Video Station.
A moment worth remembering. Step in front of the camera, show off your look, strike a pose, or simply be yourself. A short, personal video moment captured against the backdrop of NOU LA.
Photographer | Brand Strategist
Rou Leonard is a Seattle-based Haitian photographer, creative director, and brand storyteller originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His work explores the intersections of fashion, culture, hospitality, and human connection, capturing the people, places, and experiences that shape our lives.
After studying photography, marketing, and brand development at New York University, Mr. Leonard's creative journey took him from New York to Paris Fashion Week, where he photographed runway collections and worked with a Parisian fashion house. Eventually finding his way to the Pacific Northwest, he built a creative practice rooted in community, collaboration, and an appreciation for the beauty of everyday moments.
Through Studio by Rou, Mr. Leonard combines editorial photography with brand strategy and creative direction, helping fashion, hospitality, and lifestyle brands create meaningful visual identities and memorable experiences. His approach extends beyond documenting beautiful spaces and people, exploring how thoughtful imagery, design, and storytelling can transform spaces into destinations and strangers into communities.
Drawing inspiration from his Haitian heritage, global experiences, and the people he's met along the way, Mr. Leonard's work celebrates individuality across cultures, identities, and creative disciplines. At the heart of his practice is a belief that everyone deserves to be seen, celebrated, and given their flowers while they're still here.
For NOU LA. (We Are Here), Leonard presents a personal collection of editorial fashion photography and portraits captured across Paris, New York, Seattle, and beyond. The exhibition reflects on unlikely journeys, the communities we build, and the moments that remind us how far we've come.
Let's Create Something Together.
LIFE BY ROU
An Artist Statement by Rou Leonard
I don't think I've ever really known what I was doing. I've always had an idea of where I wanted to go, what I wanted to create, and the life I wanted to live. But if you asked me how I was going to get there, I probably couldn't have told you. And to be fair, I still can't.
I was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and nothing about where I started made any of this feel particularly likely. Somehow, after a quick stop in Toronto, I ended up in the States and decided to go against several generations of Haitian ancestors to study photography, marketing, and brand development at NYU. I'm sure they had other plans for me.
Somehow, I found myself photographing Paris Fashion Week, working in NYC's white glove hospitality, building relationships Parisian fashion house, and eventually moving to Seattle without family, friends, or much of a plan. Why Seattle? The trees seemed cool. I'd never seen mountains like that. I love Vancouver. I don't know, Maybe it was the taxes? I wish there were a more profound explanation.
I don't think I've ever stopped long enough to appreciate how unlikely all of that is. I'm usually too busy thinking about what I could've done better. The photographs I should've taken, the opportunities I missed, and the people I wish I'd spent more time with. I've spent so much time looking ahead that I sometimes forget to appreciate what's already here.
I've always been fascinated by how people experience the world. How a restaurant becomes someone's favorite place, a hotel makes a stranger feel at home, or how music, fashion, and design turn an ordinary night into a memory. That's why photography, hospitality, and branding have always felt connected to me. I don't just want to document beautiful experiences. I want to help create them. Build brands with personality, turn spaces into destinations, and make people feel like they belong.
I guess I've always wanted to shape the world through my own lens. And no, I'm not talking about my glasses, before somebody makes a four-eyes joke.
And that's what this collection is really about. Not necessarily my best photographs, but moments I was fortunate enough to experience. People from different places, backgrounds, and walks of life. Some I've known for years, others for minutes. But chérie, écoute, somehow our paths crossed, and we got to make something beautiful together.
I've realized the best part was never the cameras, fashion shows, or places. It's the people who believed in me, opened doors, trusted me with their stories, and made an unfamiliar city feel like home. I don't think I've thanked them enough. So this is my way of giving them their flowers while they're still here to receive them.
Somewhere between Haiti, Toronto, Florida, New York, Paris, and Seattle, that nine-year-old kid who always forgot to put lotion on his elbows ended up living a life he couldn't have imagined, surrounded by people he gets to call family.
I still don't know exactly how we got here. But looking at all these faces, places, and moments, I think we did something pretty special.
And the beautiful part is, I don't think we're anywhere close to finished.
NOU LA.
We are here.
- Rou
SOUNDS BY NAOMI
Naomi Kostecka is a versatile DJ with a deep love for music and the arts that spans multiple genres and mediums. Her sound specializes in hip-hop, underground, R&B, afrobeats, lo-fi, house, dance, drum and bass, jersey club, and Brazilian funk!
She’s had the honor of DJing for brands and organizations such as Nordstrom, Equinox, Golden Gate Fields, and Populus Hotel, among many other beautiful businesses. Music has taken her to cities all over the U.S. and Canada, such as Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, San Francisco, and Miami, performing in a wide range of environments. From stadiums and nightclubs to restaurants, weddings, fitness studios, and retail spaces, she has always been obsessed with the art of filling a room with energy that can perfectly complement the feeling and direction of an event.
She has always had an immense love for the arts. Starting with her talent in 2D art, she quickly found a love for fashion and music. She consistently incorporates her versatile mediums into her art, with intentionality and world-building always at the forefront of her mind when creating a project.
As she continues to grow as an artist, her goal is to push creative boundaries, connect people through music, and create memorable experiences wherever she plays and touches souls sonically.
FEATURED VENDORS
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Levasheff Designs
Floral Artist
Growing up in the hospitality and events industries on the San Juan Islands, Georgia developed a deep appreciation for service, design, and the relationships that shape meaningful experiences—values that continue to guide Levasheff Designs today. Since moving to Seattle, the company has grown from weddings and events into a trusted floral partner for private clients and planners alike.
For Georgia, flowers are more than decoration, they communicate feeling, carry memory, and mark the moments that matter most. At Levasheff Designs, every arrangement begins with understanding the story behind it, creating florals that are personal, intentional, and deeply connected to the people they celebrate.
Their style blends sculptural modernity with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest: clean, structured, and nostalgic all at once. Their florals we create don’t just fill a space but become a part of the story, capturing the emotion and essence of each moment.
@levasheffdesigns
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Veronica Smith Ceramics
Ceramic Artist
Veronica Smith is a Seattle-based ceramic artist whose work invites moments of pause and presence. Rooted in a deep appreciation for simplicity and the beauty of everyday rituals, her pieces are designed to bring warmth, intention, and quiet joy into the home.
After losing both of her parents to cancer in her early thirties, Veronica found solace in clay. The process of shaping each vessel by hand became a meditation on impermanence - a way to honor time, touch, and the small details that make life feel precious.
Through her practice, Veronica seeks to create objects that encourage connection: a mug that makes you linger a little longer with your morning coffee, a vase that inspires you to bring home flowers for no reason at all. Each piece from Veronica Smith Ceramics is crafted with care, celebrating craftsmanship, love, and the beauty found in slowing down.
@veronicasmithceramics
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Nicol Art Studio
Artist, Muralist & Tattoo Artist
Nicol is a Seattle-born and based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans realism, portraiture, murals, and tattooing. Her work includes large-scale murals, realistic pet portraits, and minimalist tattoo designs.
With a background in fine art and large-scale murals, Nicol brings her artistic approach to tattooing, creating small works of art meant to be worn. Her tattoo practice centers on curated flash designs that range from playful imagery to bold, simple graphics. She tattoos at events throughout Seattle, from art walks and farmers markets to raves and private parties, bringing her work to a variety of creative spaces and communities.
Nicol's murals can be found throughout Seattle, including Maribelle French Café, Monkey Loft, Revelry Room, and Pioneer Square for the FIFA World Cup.
@nicol.artstudio
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E3 Wines
Wine
E3 Wines is a Washington-based winery driven by a mission to "Educate, Elevate, and Evolve", the three E's at the heart of its brand, with a focus on crafting expertly made wines that celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity. Their current lineup includes offerings such as Malbec, Riesling, and Rosé, all priced with the intention of accessibly.
Beyond the bottle, E3 partners with local minority and LGBTQIA+ artists to design unique labels for each vintage, turning every release into a platform for underrepresented voices in both the wine world and the broader arts community.
@e3wines
Join the movement.
GALLERY TOGETHER is an intersectional, multidisciplinary space committed to platforming and co-creating with local BIPOC owned businesses, artists and creatives to curate multi-sensory experiences that inspire collective joy, build solidarity, and amplifies diverse voices. At our core, we bring community together to connect, create and celebrate art, music & culture.