Oyster Fest !

Saturday, June 2, 2012 through Sunday, June 3, 2012
Woldenberg Park
Family Food & Drink French Quarter Music
While there is no shortage of reason to throw festivals in New Orleans – it’s clear people here know how to enjoy life -- this upcoming event has a deep and meaningful mission to fulfill for the “Oyster Capital of America”. All I can say is, on June 2nd and 3rd make sure you’re hungry. The 3rd annual Oyster Festival boasts to have the crème de la crème of oysters from 18 of the top restaurants in the city! Not only will there be live music and contests (you know you want to) in Woldenberg Park, but this festival is to educate and promote the local fishing industry that took a pretty vital hit with the last oil spill off the gulf coast. So come out enjoy a day in the park, and support your city! The proceeds from the event are going to local coastal communities.
// Woldenberg Park · New Orleans · LA
// visit the official site

The Joffrey Ballet

ended Saturday, May 12, 2012
Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
Dance French Quarter
Tickets may be purchased by calling NOBA at 504-522-0996 or Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000; ticket sales are also available online at www.nobadance.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
// 801 N Rampart St · New Orleans · LA · 70116
// visit the official site

The Shop

Art French Quarter Gallery
Located in the heart of the city, The Shop is an amazing new venue to engage with contemporary and inspiring art work. The Shop, not even a year old, has prided itself in finding pieces that embody wit, creativity, storytelling, and excellent original craftsmanship. Owner and curator, Bean Blackett, opened The Shop on August 13th of 2011 with the dream of having the most exciting and enjoyable art gallery in the Southern US, bringing quality back to Royal St., the heart of the city he loves so much. The general consensus is “Nice guys running an amazing gallery.” So painting, sculpture, drawling, no matter what medium you prefer, get down here you got to see this! If you can’t make it in for a visit, at the very least make it to their Facebook page . Not only do they post some really impressive art, but these guys got jokes!
// 509 Royal Street · New Orleans · LA · 70130
// visit the official site

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

ended Sunday, May 6, 2012
Fair Grounds Race Course
Art Family Food & Drink Gentilly Jazz Music
In 1970, city leaders of New Orleans decided there should be an event worthy of the city's legacy as the birthplace of jazz. To ensure the best, They asked acclaimed jazz impresario, Geroge Wein to design this highly anticipated exposition. Wein made it clear he really believed in this project when he said "This Festival could only be held in New Orleans because here and here alone is the richest musical heritage in America". George Wein delivered on his promise, and the first ever Jazz & Heritage Festival started off with a bang. In April of 1970, legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, even returned to her hometown to perform. The heart and sole of the festival was born when Ms. Jackson and Duke Ellington (who was also appearing at the event) came across The Eureka Brass Band. Ms. Jackson was handed a microphone and joined right in on the parade! The Jazz & Heritage Festival has become a juggernaut. Now this ten day cultural event welcomes more than 400,000 visitors a year. It always presents a variety of top notch musicians (on one of their twelve stages) to put you in the celebratory mood. The festival celebrates musicians, cooks, artists, and craftspeople. Show up to enjoy the party, or make your skills and talents known to the community. Either way you're going to want to be there. Everyone's doing it.
// 1751 Gentilly Boulevard · New Orleans · LA · 70119
// visit the official site

Ogden After Hours - Tao Seeger

ended Thursday, April 5, 2012
Ogden Museum
Museum Music Warehouse
Ogden After Hours has invited Tao Seeger to perform and rejuvenate you with his distinctive sound. The son of a war correspondent/documentary film maker, and grandson to influential folk singer Pete Seeger, Tao Seeger has many unique life experiences to bring to the table. Although he was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Tao spend his childhood in Nicaragua. Unable to gain access to a wealth of flavors of music due to his location, he was devoted to the AC/DC and Metallica cassettes he did acquire, as well as two tapes of his own grandfather's folk music. His surrounding of the Nicaraguan revolution provided influential for the merging of Rock 'N' Roll with the folk styles of his family heritage. After returning to the United States to live with his grandparents, 14 year old Tao began performing with his grandfather. The partnership was born when Tao became frustrated with his grandfather's poor Spanish to which the elder responded "Well if it's so bad, why don't you help me out?". In 1986 the two played a concert for the first time together at a Hiroshima Day rally in Japan for an audience of more than half a million people. Even though Tao's bad-ass banjo playing has made him a world wide traveler, He did decided to plant some roots and calls New Orleans home where he loves the heartbeat and soul of the city. Ogden After Hours - Tao Seeger April 5, 2012 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lobby Atrium of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art's Stephen Goldring Hall.
// 925 Camp Street · New Orleans · LA · 70130
// visit the official site

Support Women Artists Now(SWAN) Day

ended Saturday, March 31, 2012
YAYA Studio and Gallery
Art Gallery Warehouse
What would the world be like without any female artists? For the second year in a row, YAYA Studio will reflect and celebrate art from a woman’s perspective with a special exhibit on Support Women Artists Now (Swan) Day. The international holiday falls on the last Saturday of Women’s History Month, March 31st. "Women artists are creating change in their communities and around the world," says Martha Richards, the co-founder of SWAN Day. "This day of celebration will help people imagine what the world would be like if women’s art and perspectives were fully integrated into all of our lives. The long term goal of SWAN Day is to inspire communities to recognize and support women artists as a basic element of civic planning." The theme of this year’s exhibition is "the artist’s relationship to womanhood," and all works were created by female YAYA artists, including the youth artists, staff, alumni, and friends of the studio.
// 338 Baronne Street · 3rd Floor · New Orleans · LA · 70112
// visit the official site

Ryhthms of Congo Square: A Jazz Journey Dance Concert

ended Saturday, March 24, 2012
Tulane University's Dixon Hall
Dance Film Jazz Music Uptown
Master drummer, dancer and choreographer, from Brazzaville, Congo, Titos Sampo will guide you on a lively "Jazz Journey" dance concert presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. "Ryhthms of Congo Square" will showcase Sampo and several other top Afro-Caribbean dance troupes who will illuminate the stage at Tulane University’s Dixon Hall on Saturday, March 24th. Their dance performance will tell the history of Congo Square, the famous meeting spot in New Orleans, where in the 18th and 19th century, African slaves would sell and trade goods and perform their traditional drumming and dance. Titos Sampo was greatly inspired by New Orleans' own Louis Armstrong after meeting him as a child, and his return to Congo Square brings his career full circle. Other performers include N'Kafu Traditional African Dance Company, Tekrema Dance Theatre, the Brazilian-inspired Casa Samba, and Kumbuka.
Showtime: 8- 10 pm
// 6823 St Charles Avenue · New Orleans · LA · 70115
// visit the official site

RHINO Contemporary Crafts Company

Art Family French Quarter Gallery Shopping
OK, this is more like it. RHINO Contemporary Crafts Company has recently moved to a larger location on Canal Street. The grand-reopening coincides with the 25th year anniversary of RHINO, the non-profit artist co-op, which stands for "Right Here in New Orleans." With a focus on education, RHINO provides local artists with a platform to display and sell their handmade crafts, ultimately promoting public appreciation of contemporary crafts. The new gallery features the work of 26 artists offering jewelry, sculpture, oil paintings, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, and much more. Visitors to the gallery also have the opportunity to converse directly with the fine craft artists, many of who are in the shop daily to provide insight into their creations as well as receive feedback. Artist workshops are also held on a regular basis and are open to the public. RHINO also has many annual events and workshops for children, staying true to their purpose of outreach and education in the community.
// 333 Canal Street · New Orleans · LA · 70130
// visit the official site

CAC SweetArts Bash 2012

ended Saturday, March 17, 2012
Contemporary Arts Center‎
Art Food & Drink Music Warehouse
The Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans will honor ten individuals who "embody the heart and soul of the New Orleans cultural community" at their annual SweetArts Bash. This year's CAC fundraiser will prove to be a unique artistic celebration. Admission to the event includes cuisine from some of the best local restaurants, along with premium wine, beer, dessert vodka drinks, and signature cocktails by mixologists from local boutique bars. The night will also include music by dance party DJs Decades-A-Go-Go who will be spinning a mix of soul and funk from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. Also one-night only art installations that were created by Antenna Gallery Artists Courtney Egan, James Goedert, Shawn Hall, and Natalie McLaurin will be on display. On top of that, there will be performances and interactive art by Trixie Minx & The Technicolor Kaleidoscope Experience. Make sure you come dressed as a blank canvas, in either all black or all white cocktail attire, and you will be become a walking piece of art as you are adorned with color by local fashion stylists from Amelia G Style Magazine.
// 900 Camp Street · New Orleans · LA · 70130
// visit the official site

Outdoor Screening of A Streetcar Named Desire

ended Friday, March 9, 2012
New Orleans Museum of Art
Family Film Food & Drink Mid-City Museum Music
NOMA is proud to be partnering with the New Orleans Film Society and the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival for this fun filled evening, a special outdoor screening of A Streetcar Named Desire. The film adaptation of Tennesse William's classic will play on a big screen in NOMA's own Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden on March 9^th at 7 pm. However, the party starts at 5 pm with live music by The Ramblin' Letters and food provided by Crêpes à la Cart. Then at 6 pm, curator Miranda Lash will guide a tour of "Women Artists" in the museum in celebration of Women's History Month. Admission to the evening's events is $6 for adults, and free for children, 17 and under. Feel free to bring a blanket or chair to comfortably enjoy the movie.
// 1 Collins Diboll Circle · New Orleans · LA · 70119
// visit the official site