The Arts District In New Orleans: Best to Visit
The city of New Orleans’ where the hustle and bustle come to visit this southern city for its rhyme and culture.
Most people usually come to the city for the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. But located away from that is something full of color and spirituality. It’s the perfect place close to home to visit for all the art lovers and curious, which is called The Arts District in New Orleans.
People travel around the world to see art and its wonders. But Louisianians don’t realize that instead of traveling far, you might need to look in your backyard. This colorful area is located near Julia Street. The vibe of the district is very mellow and calm. The feeling that you feel as you are walking in this district is the feeling of enjoyment and feeling abundantly educated.
According to The Arts District of New Orleans.com, the association was created in the 1990s to improve the neglected Arts/Warehouse District of New Orleans. To maximize promotional efforts, ADNO was formed to help bring art enthusiasts to the neighborhood. This led to the establishment of the First Saturday Gallery Openings, which bring crowds of people every month. The Association has since partnered with other institutions, like the Downtown Development District, to cultivate economic development in the downtown area.
The three major hotspots that can bring young and old generations to take in the culture are Ogden Museum, Stella Jones Gallery and LeMieux Galleries. Each of these places is a part of the soul and center of New Orleans. From striving to connect all aspects of the visual arts, culinary arts, musical arts to the art of travel in this sought-after neighborhood.
Southern Art at Odgen Museum
One place in the district is the Ogden Museum that is welcoming and inclusive. They celebrate community and welcome people to come to see the art of the American South.
“Ogden Museum invites Louisiana artists to submit work to the annual juried show, Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation. We also show work by local artists in various other exhibitions and the Museum Store,” said Melissa Kenyon, director at Ogden Museum.
Kadeshia Bellard, a local college senior at Xavier University in Louisiana is an art major. She works for the Ogden Museum who just had a showcase piece of her latest piece in an exhibition last month. She wants to inspire other students to go into art.
“Ogden Museum is known for its collection of over 4,000 works of Southern art,” said Bellard. Instagram https://instagram.com/kmb__art?utm_medium=copy_link
The Arts District tells the story of the American experience through exhibits, films and painting, which is why Ogden Museum shares the art of the American South through its programming and exhibitions.
“As an artist, it is my passion to create and observe art. I started working at the museum to gain experience in working in a museum as I hope to work with them one day,” said Bellard.
Her piece is called “Sitting on Glory”, a mixed media piece using acrylics, metallic markers and gold leaf flakes on canvas.It is validating and meaningful to hear that you are appreciated for who you are. It makes people feel valued while also helping with the well-being and mental health of that individual.
“If you had to start potentially because of me and they are the first thing you should do is trust in you are you know that you are great, also make sure you are networking as much as possible and talking to other staff artists within the area or community, lastly you should try to establish a platform within social media and in your community,” said Bellard.
Local artists or art majors would love to come to the museum due to the very inclusive atmosphere and being one of the well-known museums in New Orleans.
Most of the galleries are open late on the first Saturdays of the month. The area hosts three large annual events: Jammin’ on Julia, White Linen Night and Arts for Arts’ Sake.Ogden Museum participates in White Linen Night, an annual art walk event in the area. In addition, the museum has free admission for Louisiana residents on Thursdays, courtesy of the Helis Foundation’s Art for All program.
The contemporary and craftspeople at LeMieux
Another place to visit is LeMieux Galleries. This art gallery showcases the work of contemporary Louisiana artists, Gulf Coast artists and craftspeople. They have been around since 1983. Their mission is to provide a united front of flavorful collectors and new art fanatics with artists from Louisiana and the southern parts of the United States. They also provide custom picture framing, installation services, and private event rental.
“Gallery owners came together to help stamp this area as a destination for the visual arts and culture to develop and maintain a locality for the people of New Orleans,” said Christy Wood, who works at LeMieux Galleries.
The Culture of Stella Jones
Another local art gallery located in the district is Stella Jones Gallery. The Stella Jones gallery was created by Stella Jones and her late husband who turned their passion into business after seeing New Orleans didn’t have many people of color in the fine art area. So in 1996, the couple opened up their gallery on St. Charles Avenue offering modern art from all over the world, especially people of color, known as BIPOC.
The local gallery features the diverse art of diaspora in African American, the Caribbean and contemporary African art. Jones gallery wants to raise the aspirations of black youth by providing them with a deeper awareness of their heritage through art.
Visitation and Mission of the Arts
College students get free admission on the first Friday of every month from the majority of the museums,especially Ogden. Also, can receive discounted admission on all other days. These places do have free programming throughout the year such as artist talks, both online and in-person.
Since the pandemic is still around, people have to schedule appointments from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most galleries are open on Sundays, as well. Galleries and museums are allowing people to buy tickets ahead of time. People can visit new Facebook, Instagram’s or blogs of each place in the District. The district even has a website for people to visit and get info to plan trips.
Even if you don’t have a thing for art , you can still be interested in learning more about the educational artistic history of New Orleans art, especially southern art.
Kenyon said, “I have a background in nonprofit marketing and I was drawn to the museum’s educational mission. I am also constantly impressed by our small team’s ability to create stunning exhibitions and complementary programming. It’s inspiring to see people of all ages come into the museum and be exposed to new artistic voices.”
Most local artists or college students can first talk to museum curators or art galleries within the area. Local artists can also have their art sold on the actual streets. In New Orleans, it is very easily available to sell artwork on the sidewalks.
New Orleans is a huge hotspot for travelers locally and internationally. Local artists and students would want to visit The Arts District to see work by both established and emerging Southern artists. This beloved city truly has an interest in Southern art to give a colorful experience due to the educational and history of the community to learn more about the artists who helped build this district.