Speakeasy
Art Gallery
opened in late October this year to provide a space for artists to exhibit
their art and reach a wider audience. Sydney Prochaska, the gallery director,
says, "COVID-19 impacted the art world heavily, due to the restrictions of
gatherings, and a lot of art markets were moved to a virtual platform. With the
COVID-19 restrictions, the Speakeasy Art Gallery wanted to provide a safe space
for artists and art lovers to be connected, while supporting a local
organization."
Featuring 21
artists from all over South Louisiana, the gallery has many different art
mediums, such as painting, photography, jewelry, etc. With this multitude of
mediums, there are so many different artistic styles to see at the Speakeasy.
The gallery
is open every Saturday, from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., by appointment. For $125, the
gallery allows a guest and up to three other people of their choice to have a
safe and personal walkthrough of all the 21 artists featured in the gallery. After
the 45 minutes is over, the person who purchased the ticket will be allowed to
take home one piece of their choice from the gallery, and each guest of theirs
will be able to purchase a piece for an additional $100. The gallery was
scheduled to close at the end of December, but they have decided to stay open
through Mardi Gras.
Speakeasy Art
Gallery is the brainchild of Sam Joffray, the co-founder of the New Orleans Junior Journalism
Program (JRNOLA). The gallery is held in spaces that were used as
classrooms for JRNOLA before COVID-19. Some of the ticket proceeds will be
donated to the journalism program, as well as compensating the artist. JRNOLA
was started in 2017 to address the issue of underrepresented women and people
of color in the professional media. The program allows opportunities for teens
14 through 18 to gain real-world experience in print, photography, and
broadcast media.
To book your
appointment, click here.
400 Magazine St., (225) 773-5038, speakeasyartnola@gmail.com
