Geaux Saints! I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving or shall I say Saintsgiving holiday. It’s hard to imagine that we are coming to the end of another year with 2010 on the horizon. I’m hoping the New Year brings changes for me and I find my way back to the city I love -- New Orleans. The city is so exciting and great things are happening all over the Crescent City. In my last blog, I shared the amazing group -- Reviving the Crescent dedicated to reinventing the riverfront from downtown to the Bywater area. The river is a crucial part of the city’s history, lore and legend. The communities outside the CBD, French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny are as vibrant and interesting and it’s time for the world to discover new and better things in the city.
My blog this week will focus on a community and passion that is coming back after Katrina and a part of the reviving the Crescent --the Bywater Community. I have a friend, Maurice Slaughter, who is investing in this community. He lives in Virginia, but is from Louisiana. He loves New Orleans and believes in the revitalization of the city. He is purchasing houses and rehabbing them for artists and galleries. He had gotten historic designation on the homes. Maurice has a passion and is doing something about it while giving back at the same time.
For those of you who have not heard of the Bywater, it is a community down river from the Faubourg Marigny. It is bounded by the Mississippi River to the South, St. Claude Avenue to the North, Press Street to the West and the Industrial Canal to the East. While you have all heard about the Lower Ninth Ward, you may not know that Bywater is considered the Upper Ninth Ward.
The Bywater is an artist community and quite bohemian. Following Katrina, many young professionals and new families moved into the area as well. According to Anthony Eschmann, Board member of the Bywater Neighborhood Association, “The Times-Picayune calls the Bywater community the Bohemian Bosom of NO.”
Many restaurants, art galleries and some famous New Orleans watering holes are in the area. I recently wrote to a few locations and asked if I could include them on my blog.
Bacchanal Wine sends a weekly update of what’s happening. This week end the email blast includes information about The Bywater Christmas Art Market.
This week Bacchanal has some great holiday shopping options for you, from the great New Orleans photography of Greg Rhoades and Lee Celano, to the local flavors of the Bywater Christmas Art Market, don’t miss this opportunity to grab some really unique gifts for your loved ones. And this Sunday we have the return of Chef Ryan Haigler of La Petit Grocery and Boucherie and a full six piece band courtesy of Martin Krusche and Magnetic ear 2010!!
This Saturday and Sunday: the Bywater Christmas Art Market from 1-5 pm. You can help support our local artists by putting the money directly into their pockets and at the same time get one of a kind gift for your friends and family. Don’t buy a bunch of mass-produced, plastic, meaningless trinkets, come to Bacchanal and find that perfect expression of love and good taste. Live music at Sunday’s Market courtesy of the Courtyard Kings!!The menu at Bacchanal is amazing and well worth a special trip to the Bywater.
Jeffrey Holmes of L’Art Noir New Orleans was kind enough to respond and send me the following on his gallery:
L’Art Noir New Orleans is an underground art project designed to give emerging and unknown artists a chance to break into the art world, often by pairing them in shows with nationally known artists to help as a springboard.
Master Jeffrey Holmes began the L’Art Noir project in Ft. Lauderdale in 1997 (as Galerie Macabre) and moved the project to the Bywater neighborhood in New Orleans in 2003.
Holmes and his then partner Andrea Garland purchased a run-down commercial/residential building on St. Claude Ave. five months before Katrina with the in4ent of moving the gallery to a permanent location. Five months late, the federal levee system failed and their new home was flooded. Working as first responder, they snuck back into the city two weeks after Katrina to bring food, water, generators and other supplies to residents remaining in the city, as well as to begin the long task of cleaning and rebuilding their home.
L’Art Noir’s ‘Toxic Art’ exhibit was born out of the need to dispose of Holmes’ and Garland’s flooded possessions, artwork, art supplies and equipment, and was the first post-Katrina art exhibit in New Orleans. The creation of various installations in the neutral ground (median) on St. Claude Avenue helped themselves and their neighbors deal with their losses in a creative way and provided an entertaining and thought provoking display for the many entities that passed down the otherwise vacant St. Claude Avenue on their way to the Lower 9th Ward.
The ‘Toxic Art’ exhibition garnered international attention and was considered by many as a beacon of hope. Others saw it as threat and a portion of the exhibit was censored by National Guardsmen who had Mater Jeffrey arrested.
The first formal (indoor) show was actually a book release and exhibition for the Press St. Intersections. After the success of that show Andy Antipas from Barristers Gallery decided to set up his gallery at his home on St. Claude. Holmes and Garland upon hearing that called Antipas with the intention of co-ordinating the gallery openings. Adam Farrington was in the process of setting up his gallery near Barristers and was invited out for drinks with Holmes, Garland and Antipas. Holmes and Garland would maintain and finance the website and the SCAD, St. Claude Arts District was born (November 2006).
Skip one year later (November 2007) and the NY times did a story on New Orleans and featured the SCAD, reviewing shows at all three galleries. Within one year after that the SCAD would boast over 15 galleries as well as performance, theater and music venues and is still growing at this time.
You will also find original New Orleans art at the Bywater Art Market which takes place every third Saturday of the month, at Markey Park. And check out Dr. Bob’s Art Gallery at 3027 Chartres Street.
Now when you visit the Bywater, you must sample the locale fare. Check out these eateries for some good New Orleans food.
Bywater Restaurant at 3162 Dauphine St. for some great bar-b-que, sandwiches and seafood for lunch and dinner.
Elizabeth’s at 601 Gallier St. for some Creole, Southern and po-boys, it’s a neighborhood favorite for breakfast and lunch.
Markey’s Bar at 640 Louisa St. for great pub food, burgers, salads and great wings!
We all know, when in New Orleans do as the locals do…enjoy some community at a local watering hole. So, when in the Bywater be sure to stop by these great places:
BJ’s Lounge 4301 Burgundy. Great dive, purely a beer and booze bar!
Vaughan’s Lounge 4226 Dauphine. This place is famous because of the amazing musician and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ swingers every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. You do have to enter thru a locked door but well worth it, plus half way thru the show they serve some good N’Awlins cookin!
Saturn Bar 3067 St. Claude Avenue, great dive with really funky décor. Cheap beer and whiskey.
I encourage everyone who visits the city to support this community and get a true feeling for the amazing people who call New Orleans home. You will never meet nicer more sincere people who have a passion for their city, family and community. It can’t be found anywhere else and that’s why I have a passion and love for the city of New Orleans!
Peace
