the arts

The Dr. Rodney R. Lafon Performing Arts Center in St. Charles Parish kicks off its inaugural season this fall and will feature eight Broadway-style performances, including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which will be performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

2019’s theme is risk-taking. Calculated risks that is. My co-worker Anna and I dabble in jewelry and printmaking. While she has an established following, my company, Spruce & Rose, is newer. We both, however, are actively trying to take more risks in 2019.

To celebrate New Orleans’ tricentennial, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) presents “The Orléans Collection,” an exhibition of selections from the magnificent collection of the city’s namesake, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1689-1723).

Trace the African presence in New Orleans through a new exhibition by the New Orleans Arts & Culture Coalition (NOACC), a collective of local arts, education and cultural nonprofit organizations promoting the recognition and advancement of civil and human rights, history and culture in the city.

Mark your calendars for the “Thirty New Orleans Artists Exhibition” Sept. 8-Nov. 3, at the Second Story Gallery in the New Orleans Healing Center.

Just in time for the Carnival season, an exhibition highlighting the extravagant celebrations surrounding Mardi Gras will open in the home of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s founders, General and Mrs. L. Kemper Williams. “Mardi Gras at Home at the Williams Residence” will feature photographs, favors and ephemera —including Carnival crown jewels, historic costume designs and invitations — collected by the passionate preservationists.

The New Orleans Museum of Art marks the Tricentennial with exhibitions celebrating some of NOLA’s defining elements.

“Art is not for a select few, but for everyone, and those who acquire and possess it are only the custodians, and then they pass it on to others.” —Laura Simon Nelson

New Orleans is bursting with art; however, our bureaucracy is almost as well-known as our culture. But working with the city can assist artists.

If you think the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) is an organization responsible for hosting world-class dance companies and artists, you would be right. However, NOBA is also responsible for nationally recognized award-winning education programs and 5,500 tuition-free dance classes and workshops annually throughout the New Orleans area.

WalkingMan Studios, located on Magazine Street near Whole Foods, provides custom illustrations and prints to its customers. The shop, founded by New Orleans native Maggie Covert, has something for everyone.