by Stacey Paretti Rase

As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we thought it only fitting to speak with the magazine’s original creator. Andrea Dillahunty published the first issue of Inside Northside in December, 1986 and was publisher for ten years before relocating with her husband, Alan, and their two sons to Houston. She has since moved back to the northshore and says she enjoys following the continued growth of the magazine—her “baby.”

All of your issues featured your original artwork on the covers, which began IN’s wonderful tradition of exposing northshore readers to the works of local artists. Was the artistic aspect of the magazine important to you?

Yes! My favorite compliment was from people who became fans of my art and collected each cover. I was always telling a story through my art. Every year had a theme. When my father died, I painted a soaring eagle in a stormy sky to portray his heroism. Many never knew that IN was nothing more than my story—it was very personal and dear to my heart. 

Some of our current clients began their relationship decades ago with you. Any fond memories from your advertising days?

My first contract was with Jean and Jesse Thornburg of the Strawberry Patch. They were excited to see their daughter, Lisa, model their designer clothes. That was a perk for me, to get behind the scenes and make the ads more personal. Every ad was built that way. People began to see their friends and neighbors all over the magazine. Cedarwood always included their students in their ads in the most creative way. The human interest side of the magazine added that much more character.

Do you have any favorite stories from your publications?

My favorites were the ones that interacted with the reader. I did a lot of bios on northshore residents and always felt that our area’s most precious resource was its people. I could publish millions of magazines and not even begin to tell the whole story. But the story I had the most fun with was “The Sexiest Man Contest.” We got over 5,000 votes. Former Saints player Rich Mauti won, but Ron Franco ran a close second!

How have your seen our community change over the years?

When I moved to Mandeville, there was one stop light. IN circulated just over 5,000 magazines, which pretty much blanketed the area. It just grew from there. It became obvious that the people wanted a voice in the community, and I took it upon myself to give it to them.
 
Why do you think Inside Northside has remained relevant through the years?

 Its significance has taken a turn and been redefined. Before, IN introduced what great stock we came from and helped to keep us a close-knit group. Now, we have developed well beyond our boundaries, and have so much more ground to cover. It’s ironic that before, we needed IN to help us grow, and now we need it to help us identify what’s available to us and break down such fast growth into smaller groups and communities.

What kind of work are you doing now?

I am finally getting back to my original dream to become a well-known artist in our community. I’m mostly doing what I call “Life Portraits”—a story or collage of my clients’ memories. Most of my commissions are from baby boomers who have done a little livin’ and have a story to tell. My job is to interpret their memories into a vision of art. [And I think] that Lori Murphy needs to be my next client. As the owner of IN Magazine, I’m sure she has a lot to tell!