New Orleans History on Canvas
The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is inviting the public to witness its New Orleans Musicians in Art exhibit, which is currently on view.
This showcase comes from the HNOC's permanent collection and features 14 paintings inspired by the jazz music filling the halls of the Preservation Hall since the '50s.
What to Expect
One of the featured artists in the exhibit is Noel Rockmore, whose portraits of jazz artists throughout the 20th century have immortalized a defining moment in New Orleans history and culture.
Rockmore began his portraits at the behest of Larry Borenstein, the founder of Preservation Hall. In the 1950s, Borenstein opened an art gallery named Associated Artists in the French Quarter. Running the gallery, he no longer had time to see the local jazz shows. At this time, rock 'n' roll and bebop were establishing themselves as popular music genres in New Orleans, further dissipating the traditional jazz scene. Larry Borenstein invited local jazz legends over to play in the gallery. It was at these "rehearsals" that Rockmore drew inspiration for his work. Some of the pieces include sketches he made during live performances—an effort, in Rockmore's own words, "to depict individuals in their habitat, but not anymore in their time."
That is precisely
the mission for the New Orleans Musicians in Art exhibition. Works by Bruce
Brice, Hebert Singleton, and a church revival scene by J. Haynes Smith seek to
breathe new life into our city's history. Alongside the paintings will be
curated audio recordings from artists featured in the exhibit, further warping
the sense of times past.
The exhibit is
free of cost. The exhibit invites patrons to stop and take in a proud aspect
of the city's cultural origins. It won't be around long, so take a trip down to
the French Quarter and take a trip back in time.
