Editor’s Note: ViaNolaVie is working with the founder and producers of the The Listening Post. TLP is a community media project that aims to meet residents deep in their own neighborhoods, on porches, at libraries, in barbershops, and start conversations about local news in New Orleans and both get and share important information about life in the city.
Each week on their WWNO radio segment, TLP explores issues ranging from healthcare and WhoDat, to tattoos and transportation. Listeners are able to contribute via TLP recording devices at local libraries or via a text messaging service, which then became source material for these programs. This piece aired on October 23, 2014.
WWNO’s Listening Post project asks questions about local news in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and reports back on the community’s response. This week, in conjunction with the opening of the Prospect 3 art biennial, the Listening Post asks: what’s your favorite art in New Orleans? What do you have hanging on your walls at home?
This week as the city gears up to host artists and onlookers from around the world, we thought it would be a good time to ask New Orleanians across the city about their relationships with art in the city.
Nassera Ducre is one of several students at Delgado Community College helping Italian artist Piero Golia build a sculpture in the Isaac Delgado art gallery on campus as part of Prospect 3.
“We’re working on a structure of the nose of George Washington,” says Ducre. “I’m very excited about the project. This is a great opportunity for a budding artist to work with a well known conceptual artist.”
Projects and exhibitions like this are popping up all over town for Prospect 3, but there’s already great art in New Orleans. We sent a text message asking people about their favorite art in the city, what’s hanging on their walls, and if they’re planning on going to Prospect 3. Here are some responses we got:
“My favorite art in this town are Mardi Gras Indian suits and the Let Me Find Out 5th Ward Weebie mural on Decatur and Frenchmen.”
“The first one s are a pair of Mary and Joseph prints with gold leaf around the halos. The second is a pair of Geisha watercolors with fans in various fan dance positions on balconies over looking water with full moon in background.”
“Definitely going! Excited to see vonhoffacker the homicide detective artist at barristers. He is highlighting the homeless by painting pictures of them on their signs. Should be good.”
“May Gallery and Residency”
“Sadly I am still juggling three or four part-time jobs with no health insurance so I can forward to go.”
“No not going to the prospect 3. My favorite around New Orleans is my own. My favorite thing hanging on my own wall is my painting of the Baby Dolls I painted in August of this year.”
“My favorite things on my walls are pieces of art work of new Orleans”
“Yes I plan to go to p.3 My favorite street art is the arrangement of windows on Simon Bolivar between Jackson Ave. & MLK On my walls: a parlor scene with musicians by a Brazilian artist, also several pieces by French artist Isabelle Jacopin who lives part time in NOLA.”
“Did know about it. I have a painting of the baby Jessica with Mary and joseph.i love art with a touch of humor. I say a piece at the Ogden called Storm proof house. I live it. Wish I could get a print.”
Freddi Evans is Associate Director of Education and Public Programs at the Contemporary Arts Center, which is hosting 23 artists for Prospect 3. Evans says that getting young New Orleanians in touch with contemporary art is crucial.
“It is so important for students to see this caliber of work because one, it broadens their horizons, and secondly it shows them possibilities for themselves,” she says.
In addition to school field trips, the CAC will train student tour guides for Prospect 3 and hold a family photo workshop.
“Because we have three or four photographers on exhibit for P.3 we felt it would be really great to highlight those photographers and to bring in professional photographers who are local, but will help our families learn how to take portraits.”
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