New Orleans Moonshiners to play Concert in the Courtyard this Friday

The Historic New Orleans Collection’s spring Concerts in the Courtyard series, sponsored by AOS, kicks off Friday, March 18, with a performance by the New Orleans Moonshiners. Abita Amber and Foxhorn Chardonnay, provided with support from Republic National Distributing Company, will be served.

The Moonshiners formed in early 2008 as a group of young musicians interested in playing traditional jazz. With an enthusiastic following of swing dancers, music fans and fellow musicians, The Moonshiners add a creative modern energy to traditional jazz and write their own original tunes. Banjo player and bandleader Chris Edmunds is joined by Greg Smith, Bryan Besse, Bruce Brackman, Chuck Brackman, Ronell Johnson, and Mark Braud.

Republic National Distributing Company, the second-largest distributor of premium wine and spirits in the U.S., formed in 2007, when Republic Beverage Company and National Distributing Company combined their businesses in 17 states. Abita Beer, which debuted with Amber in 1986, has grown from brewing 1,500 barrels of beer in its first year to brewing more than 109,000 barrels of beer in 2010. Located in Abita Springs, the brewery is privately owned and operated by local shareholders. Foxhorn Vineyards wine is produced in the small town of Griffith in Southeastern Australia. Using grapes grown in the warm, sandy soil and adding decades of experience as a small lot winemaker, Belinda Morandin creates rich, ripe and reasonably priced wines. The featured chardonnay has been described by FearlessCritic.com as “refreshing, bright with citrus, and with just enough oak to make it juicy.”

Admission to the concert is $10, free for members of The Collection, and includes three complimentary cocktails. Household memberships begin at $35 per household and are valid for one year. Guests must be 21 or over. The spring concert series will continue April 15 with Glen David Andrews, May 20 with Otra, and June 17 with Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots. For more information, call (504) 523-4662 or visit www.hnoc.org.

The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., in the French Quarter

Arts Council of New Orleans Announces Arts Grant Funding

The Arts Council of New Orleans is pleased to announce a new grant cycle to support FY 2012 arts activities in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes.  The required online application deadline is April 27, 2011 with a required hard copy submission by April 28, 2011.  Grant guidelines, application forms, and the schedule of grant workshops are posted on the Arts Council website - www.artscouncilofneworleans.org - under Grants/Available Grants. 

Operating Support, Project Assistance, and Technical Assistance grants are being offered in the April 2011 deadline through two grant programs the Arts Council administers.   Operating Support funds the general expenses of arts organizations with two-year grants.   Project Assistance provides funding to an array of groups or individuals with arts activities that benefit or involve others in the community.  Technical Assistance provides funds to organizations and agencies involved in arts programming for access to professional expertise or training opportunities relating to arts programming or management. 

Arts Council staff will conduct grant workshops in March 2011 which will cover the grants offered, program priorities, eligibility requirements, application process, and tips on how to submit a competitive application.  Workshop attendance is strongly recommended for all grant-seekers as there are some changes in application submission requirements this year.  The workshops are free-of-charge and open to the public; registration is not required.  Two workshops will be held inOrleans Parish (March 21 and March 30); one workshop will be held in Plaquemines Parish (March 22) and one will be held in Jefferson Parish (March 23).  The schedule and locations of workshops is posted on the Arts Council’s  web site.  Full information on the line-up of workshops is listed below.

Arts Council Grants staff will be available to help applicants develop proposals and to review application drafts.   Applicants may call a member of the grants staff to discuss a proposal or to request a consultation appointment.  Consultations will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Printed copies of guidelines will be available at the grant workshops or at the Arts Council of New Orleans office, 818 Howard Avenue, Suite 300, between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  For further information on the grants program, visit the Arts Council of New Orleans’ web site –(www.artscouncilofneworleans.org)  or call Karen Kern (504-595-8461) or Joycelyn Reynolds (504-595-8471) of the Grants staff.

Arts Council 2011 Grant Workshop Schedule
Orleans Parish Monday, March 21, 5:30 p.m.	Lower 9th Ward Village 1001 Charbonnet Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 (504) 304-7868
Plaquemines Parish Tuesday, March 22, 5:00 p.m.	Plaquemines Parish Library 8442 Highway 23,  Belle Chasse, LA 70037 (504) 398-7302
Jefferson Parish Wednesday, March 23, 4:00 p.m.	East Bank Regional Library 4747 W. Napoleon Avenue, Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 838-1100
Orleans Parish Wednesday, March 30, 5:30 p.m.	Ashé Cultural Arts Center 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113 (504) 569-9070

About the funding sources:  The Louisiana Decentralized Arts Funding Program, a statewide program funded through the Louisiana Division of the Arts with state legislative appropriations, supports arts activities that will take place in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012.  The Community Arts Grants Program, funded by the City of New Orleans, supports arts activities in Orleans Parish that will take place January - December of 2012.

About the Arts Council of New Orleans:
The Arts Council of New Orleans is a private, non-profit organization designated by the City of New Orleans as its official arts agency. Now in its 36th year, the Arts Council works in partnership with the City of New Orleans, community groups, local, state, and national governmental agencies, and other nonprofit arts organizations to meet the arts and cultural needs of the New Orleans community through a diversity of initiatives and services. The Arts Council serves as one of ten regional distributing agencies for Louisiana Division of the Arts funds and administers the Community Arts Grants and the Percent For Art program for the City of New Orleans. http://www.artscouncilofneworleans.org/

NEW ORLEANS GEARS UP FOR THE NATION’S LARGEST TRAVELING ART AND MUSIC TOUR, GENTLEMAN JACK ART BEATS AND LYRICS

Over 25 cutting edge visual artists from around the country are headed to New Orleans, including Mad Clout, Flux, Michi, Shannon McCollum, Gilbert Young, City of Ink, Occasional Superstar, Wak, and co-producerDubelyoo. New Orleans visual artist will include Charlie V, Humidity Skate Shop, Traffic Boutique Gallery Selection, and Lionel Milton.
The most recent high profile addition to the tour is, famed hip hop pioneer, photographer, and author Ernie Paniccioli.The author of the hip-hop classic, “Who Shot Ya,” will display iconic photos from his unmatched comprehensive collection of classic hip hop works. His photographs have been displayed at The Brooklyn Museum of Art and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

“Art, Beats + Lyrics opens with a look that reflects the image of the Gentleman Jack consumer – classically smooth and refined. Those are characteristics that Gentleman Jack has always represented,” said Tracey Johnson, Gentleman Jack Brand Manager.   “Gentleman Jack knows this generation expresses themselves through art, dance, and music.Gentleman Jack Arts, Beats + Lyrics gives them the opportunity to do just that in a one-of-a-kind interactive environment.

Hosted by Hustle, the lineup for New Orleans includes live music performances by, The Stooges Brass Band (Jumpshive), live soul band YVPG, independent hip hop phenom Nesby Phips, hot new drum sensation, ALIEN(www.alienanimal.com) and international soul singer, Joi. Other tunes will be provided by a line up of turntable scientist, including DJ Chicken, DJ Wop and DJ Dave Soul on the ones and twos, and more. Past guests of GJ AB+L have included DMC of Run DMC, Killa Mike, Pastor Troy, actor Jamal Woodard, (NOTORIOUS),BET Host Terrence J, and DJ Lord of Public Enemy. As the reputation of the Gentleman Jack Art Beats + Lyrics tour continues to grow, so have the attendance numbers; crowds have reached upwards of 3,500 in some markets.

Throwdown.1.5 A Benefit for Prospect New Orleans

Founded in 2008 by Dan Cameron, Prospect New Orleans is the largest biennial of international contemporary art in the United States. Conceived in the tradition of the great international biennials, such as the Venice Biennale and the Bienal de São Paulo, Prospect New Orleans showcases new artistic practices from around the world and contributes to the revitalization of New Orleans by spurring tourism and bringing international attention to the city's vibrant visual arts community. 

On Saturday, Prospect New Orleans will celebrate its 15-week series with Prospect.1.5. All money collected from ticket sales and a silent auction featuring artists' work, will go towards Prospect New Orleans mission and initiatives.

Saturday, February 5th, 2011
8:00 - 11:00 pm
Stage 3 - Second Line Stages
800 Richard Street New Orleans, LA 70130

Tickets $25 - $250 each
Available online  until Noon on Saturday or pay cash or credit at the door.

Music - DJ Rusty Lazer

Food - Cochon, Eat New Orleans, Gordon Biersch Brewery, Meauxbar, Terrazu, Ralph's On the Park & Southern Candymakers

For more information, visit their website: Prospect New Orleans

New Art for New Orleans

On February 5^th Bonnie Maygarden and Sean Capone will be debuting their art works at the Martine Chaisson Gallery.  Both artists will be there to display their beautiful yet very different works of art.  Bonnie Maygarden will be showing both sculptures and paintings of gold crushed cans and gems to highlight the ideas of wealth, value, abstraction, and photorealism.  Sean Capone will be using video installation to completely transform the gallery into a flora filled room. Come support the artists, and be amazed by their creative plays on everyday objects and the environment. 

Sean Capone and Bonnie Maygarden
Martine Chaisson GalleryOpening: February 5th, 6-9PM.Dates: February 5th – March 5th, 2011
727 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
504.302.7942
Www.martinechaissongallery.com

*Photo Credit: SEAN CAPONE

CAMERA ROSETUM @ THE ARCHWAY, DUMBO Art-Under-The-Bridge FestivalSept 25-26, 2009.A multi-projector video installation
Courtesy the artist and Martine Chaisson Gallery, New Orleans, LA

Arts Market of New Orleans - Pollock Paint Party

Saturday, January 29th
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Palmer Park, S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Aves in Uptown.
Free and open to the public! 

The first Arts Market of New Orleans of 2011 will celebrate what would have been Jackson Pollock’s 99th birthday on Saturday, January 29th. About 100 artists will display everything from jewelry, paintings, and ceramics to metal work, printmaking and mosaics that include pieces inspired by the abstract movementEnjoy the ultimate creative experience at Arts Market of New Orleans! Artist Tony Nozero and glassblower Jeremy Ballard are among the array of the region's best talent to be found monthly in Palmer Park.

Featured Entertainment for SATURDAY, JANUARY 29TH
Music Tent: 
1:00 The Charles Brewer Trio
2:30 Lantana Combo
Kids Tent: 
10:30 am in the Kids Tent- Vatican Lokey stars in Action! Mr. Pollack with audience participation and birthday party!
Children can make "Personal Pollock Paintings" after the show for the rest of the day!
Link to event: Arts Council of New Orleans

OCH Art Market

This previous weekend I had the chance to attend OCH Art Market. This is a free open art market placed along the historic district of O.C. Haley Blvd. With phenomenal great art and crafts from the talented artist of New Orleans. With over 40 artists displaying you will see something for all taste. Don’t miss your chance to shop locally!

The next OCH Art Market is on February 12th called the Valentines Market. Art, crafts and gifts will be available along with a special exhibition on Steampunk Arts & Crafts by Analog Frontiers at the next Art Market. You can get your fill of homemade chocolates to share with your sweetie.

Also expect a Slow Biking Contest, in which you can win a bike by riding as slow as possible.

OCH Art Market
February 12th
11am- 4:30pm
Zeitgeist – 1618 Oretha C Haley Blvd
www.ochartmarket.com

THNOC releases groundbreaking study of early Louisiana furniture

The Historic New Orleans Collection proudly announces the release of its latest and most ambitious publication, Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735–1835, a long-awaited addition to the field of decorative arts scholarship.

This magisterial study evokes an era before mass production and ease of transport began to homogenize furniture design across America. From the early 18th through the mid-19th centuries, distinctive cabinetmaking traditions developed in the Mississippi River valley through a melding of French, Anglo-American, Caribbean, Canadian and African influences. Furnishing Louisiana stands as tribute to the region’s cultural diversity and remarkable artistry.

Louisiana’s earliest colonial furniture hewed closely to French models. Yet an influx of immigrants at the turn of the 19th century—refugees from the Haitian Revolution, Anglo-Americans drawn south and west in the wake of the Louisiana Purchase—had a striking impact on the region’s crafts. The fusion of acculturated European craftsmanship and contemporary Anglo-American fashion produced a novel aesthetic in the New World: the Louisiana Creole style. And while highly refined cabinet work emerged from cosmopolitan New Orleans, another tradition was developing to the west on the Acadian prairies. Informed by distant memories of France and recent memories of Canada and modified by Louisiana’s climate and available materials, Acadian furniture stands alongside Creole craftsmanship as an enduring reflection of a time, a place, and a people.

Featuring more than 1,200 full-color illustrations, Furnishing Louisiana presents a comprehensive catalogue of furniture forms produced in the upper and lower Mississippi River valley. The book also offers essays on the cabinetmakers, the hardware and the woods (both native and exotic), the art of inlay, the import trade at the Port of New Orleans, and the interior of the early Louisiana home.

Furnishing Louisiana will be available in mid-December 2010. The Shop at The Collection, www.hnoc.org or (504) 598-7147, is currently accepting pre-orders for the book, which retails for $95 plus shipping and handling fees. Online pre-orders receive a $5 discount on shipping.

Girl Next Door Theatre

(From L-R: Stephen Foley, Meredith Mullins, Nancy Schmitt, and Nancy Upton)

“You never know who is living next door.”

So say Girl Next Door Theatre, the newly formed New Orleans theatre group with a feminist take on the performing arts. Founded by Meredith Mullins and Nancy Schmitt, GNDT is focused on going beyond what they see as simplistic portrayals of women in art. From the website:

Our desire to produce a discourse on gender and sexuality goes beyond women’s genders and women’s sexuality, because feminism isn’t a singular ideology. It is a lens, a conceptual framework to analyze and understand our everyday life; why we do the things we do, and how we can change what we determine to be a structural inequity or lack of agency. A discussion of humanity.

Recently, GNDT staged an adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, entitled No Exit (from the Zombie Apocalypse) at Byrdie’s, as part of the New Orleans Fringe Festival. Adapted and directed by Mullins and featuring Schmitt (Hazel/Estelle), Nancy Upton (Edith/Inez) and Stephen Foley (Joseph), the play offered a subtly modernized take on Sartre’s classic play, playing on the strengths of the female characters (especially Edith) to create a decidedly female-centric dialogue in a play that is generally not considered feminist. It also incorporated the latest supernatural critical darlings— zombies—to grimly hilarious effect. When asked “why Sartre?” Schmitt responded:

I will say that picking a play by a male-focused author and having it performed by a group that's outspokenly feminist is, to me, a form of subversion. Directors were almost exclusively male in Sartre's day, so I imagine he would be baffled to see a woman at the helm of one of his productions, much less rewriting it to fit her vision. I think it's kind of a metaphor. We, as women, live in a world that's been scripted by the patriarchy and part of what my theatre company wants to do is rewrite that script.

GNDT is currently working on a showcase featuring both original works and adaptations by female playwrights, including Mullins. So if you’re looking for some female-focused theatre and you want to support some burgeoning local talent, check out Girl Next Door Theatre.

http://gndtheatrenola.tumblr.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/GNDTheatreNOLA

New Orleans Museum of Art becomes a centenarian

The New Orleans Museum of Art opened its doors 100 years ago thanks to a $150,000 donation offered by a local businessman to build a "temple of art for rich and poor alike." It owned 11 pictures and a small collection of other objects.

Now, thanks to the donations of others over the years, NOMA has more than 35,000 pieces in its permanent collection, ranging from paintings by Degas, Picasso, Chagall and other big-name artists to dramatic African and Asian art, antique glass and a sculpture garden featuring works by 20th century greats such as Henry Moore and Louise Bourgeois.

Full Story

'ArT Home New Orleans' a celebration of culture

New Orleans is inextricably linked to its art and traditions, from Bourbon Street jazz to the cuisine and architecture of the storied French Quarter.


This weekend and next, the city will celebrate its own art and culture with “ArT Home New Orleans,” a two-weekend tour of more than 50 homes, art studios and “salons” where the work of emerging artists will be sold.

Full Story

The Seventh Ward: People, Places and Traditions

“The Seventh Ward: People, Places and Traditions”
December 1, 2010–February 26, 2011
Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St.
Free and open to the public.

As part of PhotoNOLA 2010, The Historic New Orleans Collection presents the exhibition “The Seventh Ward: People, Places and Traditions” on the second floor of the Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St. Anchoring the display is a collection of images by Owen F. Murphy Jr., who was commissioned along with writer Leila Hay Owen by the Arts Council of New Orleans in the late 1970s. The pair was charged with documenting the distinct social and cultural traditions of the Seventh Ward, a New Orleans neighborhood that was traditionally home to a large number of Creoles of color. In addition to Murphy’s images, the exhibition explores the architecture, people and culture of the New Orleans neighborhood from 1857 to the present. Images on display were pulled from The Collection’s holdings and include artists such as Christopher Porché West, Michael P. Smith and Jules Cahn.

Corks ‘N Canvas

Ok so let me guess…to whomever is reading this right now, you think that you have no artistic talent whatsoever and the thought of drawing and painting in front of others sounds stressful and thoroughly unenjoyable, right? Right. That’s what I thought too until I went to Corks ‘N Canvas last week. I felt forced into it because it was part of my good friend’s bachelorette festivities and how could I say no? The $45 price tag didn’t make me want to go any more than the thought of being judged at my inability to draw a straight line. But, nevertheless, I decided to suck it up and go because of the sheer peer pressure of it all.

I walked in a little late, moseyed up to the front desk and told them I was here for Sara’s private party. They told me since it was a 3 hour class that it would cost $45. I asked them what happens if you suck at art and find it stressful. The lady at the front desk said that everyone thinks that and if you’re stressed that’s what the wine is for. Fair enough.

Prospect New Orleans is Back with More Art

The art community in New Orleans has continued to grow and includes many talented artists and galleries sharing in and complementing New Orleans culture. Contemporary art has played an important role in expressing the passion of the citizens of New Orleans, as well as people across the world. Helping showcase local talent is Prospect New Orleans, an organization under the U.S. Biennial, which showcases art throughout the world. From November 2008 through January 2009, Prospect New Orleans presented Prospect 1, which was the largest biennial of international contemporary art in the United States. Prospect 1 showcased 81 artists in 24 venues. It attracted 42,000 visitors and generated $23 million in the local economy. I went to many Prospect 1 events and enjoyed all the amazing talent throughout the city. For a moment, all the great art I was experiencing made me think it was time for me to become a painter.

Full Story

Experience the Best in Southern Music at Ogden After Hours

Take three floors of Southern art, add the best in local and Southern music, mixed with beer, wine, and specialty cocktails, and you have the ingredients for one of my favorite activities in New Orleans, Ogden After Hours.

More than just a museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art celebrates all aspects of Southern culture. Part of this celebration includes a weekly opportunity to see the best in local and regional music, including blues, jazz, R&B, country, folk, Cajun, bluegrass, and rock. Now in its seventh year, Ogden After Hours takes place every Thursday (excluding holidays) from 6-8 PM. Past performers include Theresa Andersson, brothers James and Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Sunpie Barnes, Jon Cleary, Jeremy Davenport, Little Freddie King, Ingrid Lucia, Ellis Marsalis, Jon Mooney, Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Anders Osborne, and Walter "Wolfman" Washington, just to name a few. I will never forget Theresa Andersson’s post-Katrina Ogden After Hours performance. Other personal favorites have been Fred LeBlanc, Linnzi Zaorski, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm, DJ Jubilee, and Rebirth Brass Band with Cheeky Blakk.

An important component of Ogden After Hours is the interview. The artists are interviewed by local music writers; these interviews are a great way to learn about the musician’s influences. The interview typically begins around 6:30. If the interview is not your cup of tea, this is the ideal time to head to the rooftop and enjoy the Ogden’s spectacular view of the city, or wander through the three floors of art galleries.

David Sinclair Nixon Exhibition Opening

Check out Martine Chaisson Gallery

When you are out at Art for Arts' Sake this weekend, do not miss Martine Chaisson Gallery. It’s a beautiful space at 727 Camp Street. The gallery represents emerging artist and provides a beautiful venue for contemporary art. The gallery recently showed Fanciful Fauna: The Art of Hunt Solnem. Hunt Solnem is a famous painter who created a beautiful "red butterflies" piece.

At Arts for Art Sake, Jack Niven will present “Niagara”. This exhibition will consist of acrylic and oil on canvas. Expect a great exhibit closing on November 27, 2010.

Martine Chaisson Gallery

727 Camp Street

Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm

www.martinechaissongallery.com

Get smART at Art for Arts' Sake

Remember those days of drawing houses with the sun in the top corner, a dog on the side and your stick-leg family smiling happily at the crowd?

This isn't that day.

If you're looking for a consciously cultured activity to do this weekend, then Van Gogh with your friends and family to New Orleans' annual Art for Arts' Sake fall festival. Enjoy a day of exploring New Orleans' finest artist galleries that will surely make Mona Lisa smile. 

Start off in the Warehouse District where galleries are hosting open houses for art lovers galore. Cash bars outside can help get you in the sophisticated mood to pontificate Picasso...or just get you drunk (we don't judge.)  

Mignon Faget: A Life in Art and Design

Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting The Historic New Orleans Collection for the “Mignon Faget: A Life in Art and Design” Exhibit. This is truly a fascinating exhibit that everyone needs to check out on their own.  Housed in the beautiful Royal Street Complex, this exhibit celebrates the life and work of New Orleans’ own Mignon Faget, famous for her wonderful jewelry designs. 

You definitely do not want to miss out on this exceptional exhibition, which is on display September 22, 2010 through January 2, 2011. You will see her creative artistry and craftsmanship displayed through jewelry, clothing and furnishings. There is no shortage of beauty and intelligence to be found in each collection.  With hundreds of pieces on display there is something for all tastes to admire.

Bring Fall in with Concerts in the Courtyard

The Historic New Orleans Collection might be the best NOLA museum that you’ve never heard of. The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the preservation of the culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. The Collection’s museum is located at 533 Royal Street, and houses changing exhibitions in the Williams Gallery as well as the permanent collection in the Louisiana Historic Galleries. The Collection also operates The Williams Research Center, located at 410 Chartres Street. It is at The Williams Research Center that The Collection’s holdings are made available to researchers; the archives are comprised of more than 35,000 items, including documents, manuscripts, photographs, prints, drawings, and other artifacts.

My favorite thing about The Historic New Orleans Collection is the Concerts in the Courtyard series, in its third year. Held each spring and fall, the Concerts in the Courtyard are an affordable, fun way to enjoy live music and cocktails in a charming French Quarter setting. Anyone that visited the BMI Songwriter stage during French Quarter Festival discovered what a wonderful, intimate music venue the HNOC courtyard is. The concerts attract a diverse crowd, young and old. Admission is $10, which includes three complimentary cocktails. The concerts are free for members, and memberships start at $35 (if you attend four concerts, you come out ahead!).