New Orleans is a city full of culture, art, and history. From the iconic French Quarter to the vibrant Bywater neighborhood, the city is home to a variety of public art installations that capture the spirit of the city. From painted streetcars to sculptures and murals, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the street art of New Orleans. Sponsored by the New Orleans Youth Leadership Council, painted streetcars were created to raise funds for a new art pavilion.
Streetcar sculptures were created and painted to represent iconic New Orleans scenes. You can find them in the city, such as next to the Saenger Theater, Fulton Street, Lafayette Square, and Audubon Park. Gambit viewed and compiled a list and photos of more than 120 outdoor murals for public view in the parishes of Orleans and Jefferson, although there are many more. There are also many other types of public art in the city, such as sculptural installations, smaller-scale painted works, murals on food trucks, historic works from Work Project Management projects, and much more.
Home to local artist Brandan Bmike Odums, the gigantic warehouse has countless pieces that tell stories of politics, revolutionaries and New Orleans. New Orleans' public art movement will take you to the colorful Bywater neighborhood, the music community of Tremé, and the bustling Central Business District. In a city as creative and bold as New Orleans, it's no surprise that murals, sculptures, and art installations are as common and photo-worthy as the city's spectacular architecture, but you won't find them in the historic French Quarter. Much of the city's street art shows cultural and civil rights leaders, scenes from New Orleans' past and present, local residents, and the city's rich musical tradition. Saint Alvin Kamara of New Orleans places obstacles to an alligator in a mural at the New Orleans Art Center by Devin DeWulf, founder of the Krewe of Red Beans.
The tour group leaned more toward young people, and my tour partners brandished cameras to take photos of art worthy of Instagram and interested enough to ask a lot of questions and talk about street art in their own cities. Although part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Sculpture Garden is free and open to the public. Muralist Courtney “CeAux” Buckley painted New Orleans-born superstar Lil Wayne in Hollygrove, 8401 Olive Street. Keep scrolling to see a full photo tour of New Orleans street art and murals, as well as the exact location of each piece. The works were led by the New Orleans Arts Council and were the result of a competition by local and international artists.
Studio BE, in the Bywater neighborhood, is a 35,000 square foot exhibition space featuring several works by New Orleans filmmaker and artist BMike. With the help of many local organizations such as NOLA Mural Project and New Orleans Arts Council, works of art continue to be created in the city to inspire others. The sculpture garden part of New Orleans Museum of Art is free to public and includes nearly 100 sculptures spread over 11 acres. New Orleans street art isn't just based on murals: there's an entire garden dedicated to sculptures in City Park.
