ShoreTrips says...

Our local guide has a passion for art and for New Orleans. She has witnessed the resurgence of the art community here, and is an active contributor to this important neighborhood.

New Orleans and the people who live there are well regarded for their vibrant culture, energetic spirit, and unparalleled resilience. After a brief introduction, you and your guide will begin this exploration of New Orleans art.

The Arts District in New Orleans is a relatively new development. As recently as 1980, it was a dying warehouse district. With the introduction of the 1984 World's Fair, held in New Orleans, the art scene began to flourish into the vibrant community it is today.

We begin our walking tour with a stroll down beautiful Julia Street, the main street in the Arts District and just a short walk from notable landmarks such as the New Orleans Convention Center and the Louisiana Super Dome.

Depending on the day of your visit, we will visit 4-5 local galleries, each with their own style and energy. Lemieux Galleries is the gateway to the Arts District and our first stop of the day. Here you can expect paintings of contemporary Southern artists. Next, we will visit the Arthur Roger Gallery, which, upon the gallery's opening in 1978, quickly surged to the forefront of the arts movement in New Orleans and has stayed there ever since. This gallery features a balance of work from local, as well as nationally established, artists.

We'll continue on to the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, a contemporary gallery that focuses on local emerging artists and their work. We will also visit the Callan Contemporary, which is especially abstract and open, featuring nationally established, as well as international, artists. We will end our tour with a visit to the Octavia Art Gallery, a gallery that focuses on featuring artists whose work preserves and honors cultures across the globe.