NOLA Art scene
By SALLY WALKER DAVIES
Sure, most people think Bourbon Street or French Quarter when they think of New Orleans.
Beyond food and drink, however, there’s another way to indulge the senses in the Big Easy – through art.
For a taste of New Orleans that has nothing to do with food, we’ve put together five easy ways to see the cultural side of the city.
Gallery Hop
Start on Julia Street in the Warehouse District – what many call the ‘SoHo of the South’. Julia Street is home to more than 20 galleries. Try the Arthur Roger Gallery, which primarily features the works of contemporary regional artists, and chat with Roger or his knowledgeable staff about the state of the city’s art scene post-Katrina. When you wander over to the Quarter, stroll down Royal Street for more gallery hopping, including Marcus Akinlana’s Royal Heritage Gallery, where he exhibits his vibrant works of NOLA life.
Go on aFleur-De-Lis Hunt
All over town, intricately decorated fleur-de-lis are popping up as a response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Painted by local artists and sold to companies and individuals for $10,000 each, the 40 sculptures, each 4 feet high, are the first public art initiative since the hurricane. Proceeds from the sale of the pieces benefit children’s charities as well as local artists; look for them throughout the Quarter and the Warehouse District in Jackson Square, Canal Place, The D Day Museum and the Children’s Museum.
Beyond food and drink, however, there’s another way to indulge the senses in the Big Easy – through art.
For a taste of New Orleans that has nothing to do with food, we’ve put together five easy ways to see the cultural side of the city.
Gallery Hop
Start on Julia Street in the Warehouse District – what many call the ‘SoHo of the South’. Julia Street is home to more than 20 galleries. Try the Arthur Roger Gallery, which primarily features the works of contemporary regional artists, and chat with Roger or his knowledgeable staff about the state of the city’s art scene post-Katrina. When you wander over to the Quarter, stroll down Royal Street for more gallery hopping, including Marcus Akinlana’s Royal Heritage Gallery, where he exhibits his vibrant works of NOLA life.
Go on aFleur-De-Lis Hunt
All over town, intricately decorated fleur-de-lis are popping up as a response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Painted by local artists and sold to companies and individuals for $10,000 each, the 40 sculptures, each 4 feet high, are the first public art initiative since the hurricane. Proceeds from the sale of the pieces benefit children’s charities as well as local artists; look for them throughout the Quarter and the Warehouse District in Jackson Square, Canal Place, The D Day Museum and the Children’s Museum.
Muse About Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art is back – now open five days a week with its extensive permanent collection of French and American art in City Park. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, in the Warehouse District, features the works of artists from 15 southern states dating back to 1773. Contemplate modern masters at the Contemporary Arts Center, also in the Warehouse District, or wander the five acres of sculptural wonders in City Park’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
Get Blown Away
By the city’s glass artists, that is. Watch glass blowers fashion their pieces from molten glass at the New Orleans Glass Works and Printmaking Studio in the Warehouse District. Part gallery, part working studio and part classroom, Glass Works brings together artisans from across the globe to demonstrate and educate; some are even dedicated to the culinary craft of chocolate sculpting and sugar blowing. Printmakers and other artists also display and demonstrate their craft.
Artful Accommodations
With original art glass in the bathroom, giclée prints in the bedroom, and a sculpture garden, gallery space and Chihuly chandeliers scattered throughout the two-story lobby, this isn’t your typical hotel. A former furniture factory, the Renaissance Arts Hotel is itself a destination for art lovers, if not the perfect place to lay your head while contemplating New Orleans’ art offerings. In the guest rooms, exposed brick walls are a gritty yet elegant juxtaposition to the clean, stylized lines of the furnishings and the lush bedding, while in the public spaces, art takes center stage throughout the hotel, with a glass wall in the lobby and huge woodcut prints of Louis Armstrong in the foyer.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is back – now open five days a week with its extensive permanent collection of French and American art in City Park. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, in the Warehouse District, features the works of artists from 15 southern states dating back to 1773. Contemplate modern masters at the Contemporary Arts Center, also in the Warehouse District, or wander the five acres of sculptural wonders in City Park’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
Get Blown Away
By the city’s glass artists, that is. Watch glass blowers fashion their pieces from molten glass at the New Orleans Glass Works and Printmaking Studio in the Warehouse District. Part gallery, part working studio and part classroom, Glass Works brings together artisans from across the globe to demonstrate and educate; some are even dedicated to the culinary craft of chocolate sculpting and sugar blowing. Printmakers and other artists also display and demonstrate their craft.
Artful Accommodations
With original art glass in the bathroom, giclée prints in the bedroom, and a sculpture garden, gallery space and Chihuly chandeliers scattered throughout the two-story lobby, this isn’t your typical hotel. A former furniture factory, the Renaissance Arts Hotel is itself a destination for art lovers, if not the perfect place to lay your head while contemplating New Orleans’ art offerings. In the guest rooms, exposed brick walls are a gritty yet elegant juxtaposition to the clean, stylized lines of the furnishings and the lush bedding, while in the public spaces, art takes center stage throughout the hotel, with a glass wall in the lobby and huge woodcut prints of Louis Armstrong in the foyer.
