Current Project:
Gumbo Botanica: St. Claude + Elysian Fields Mural Revival
“Gumbo Botanica” is the first all-women and youth mural production in New Orleans. It is a significant initiative that highlights the talents and voices of women and youth artists in the community.
Covering three walls totaling nearly 5000 square feet, the mural was a collaborative effort involving 6 mural mentors and 9 youth artists from the Youth Arts Movement. The artwork pays tribute to the healing herbs and culinary traditions that define New Orleans' unique culture. Honoring the creativity of the young women of New Orleans, our painted garden features beautiful portraits of young artists that worked on the mural.
The project not only beautifies the corner where it is located but also serves as a source of inspiration and pride for the community. The lead artists provided guidance and training to the youth artists through workshops on various aspects of mural creation, including digital illustration, mural design & planning, reference photography, traditional brush painting, color-mixing, aerosol paint, and job site professionalism. We've also trained 5 artists in polytab (mural cloth) installation techniques which is how we were able to incorporate watercolor art on the wall. Guest muralists visited and shared their public art experiences with our youth artists on the job site. Big thanks to Marcus Akinlana, Gabriel Flores, Kate Hanrahan, and Jade the Artist for blessing us with your knowledge! In recognition of the value of the youth artists’ contributions to the project, they were compensated for their time and efforts.
Gumbo Botanica stands as a testament to the power of art in fostering creativity, community engagement, and positive impact. It is a must-see in person! Please join us for our mural dedication ceremony on March 30th, 2024, at 3:30pm., to be held at the site of the mural on 1101 Elysian Fields Ave. at St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans.
The Gumbo Botanica mural project has received funding from various sources, including contributions from building owners Nga Vu and Shawn Tan, Arts New Orleans, Spectrum Arts NOLA, NOTCF, NOLA Art Walk, and donations from the community. This financial support has been instrumental in bringing the project to fruition and showcasing the talents of women and youth artists in the community. The collaboration between these stakeholders underscores the importance of community involvement and investment in the arts for the betterment of the local area.
Learn more about it and help us reach our campaign goal in time for the ceremony.
Lead Artist Team:
Monica Rose Kelly (@monicakellystudio)
Tyla Maiden (@tyla.the.creative)
Sasha Kopfler (@sosh.0)
Gabby Tolliver (@gabbytolliverart)
Lillian Aguinaga (@lillianaguinaga)
Special thanks to Artist Journey Allen (@artistjourneyallen) and our youth artist cohort from the Young Artist Movement, a program of Arts New Orleans
Instagram: @this.is.yam
Upcoming:
Community Mural Revival + GiveNOLA Day!
People for Public Art is proud to announce our newest art venture. With the help of our local community, we will be organizing a team of local muralists to bring the walls of the former Beauty Plus building (on the corner of Elysian Fields and St. Claude) back to life. Our plan is to collaborate on a mural that reflects our city while weaving everyone’s styles together in a cohesive way.
Creating a mural of this size, scope, and intention requires significant resources. That's why People for Public Art is seeking donations from members of the community who believe in the power of public art to bring people together and enhance the cultural landscape of our neighborhood.
We want to do this right, make it beautiful and make it permanent. Your donation will go directly towards supporting the artists involved in the project, as well as covering the costs of materials, equipment, and installation.
We are currently planning with the owner of the building and looking at late August for our painting marathon.
If you believe in the transformative power of art, please consider making a donation to People for Public Art for Give Nola Day. Your support will make a meaningful difference, both to the artists involved and to the cultural landscape of our neighborhood. Thank you for your generosity!
2/7/22 + 2/8/22
and
3/7/22 +3/8/22
NFTea + Minting: a workshop for New Orleans Creatives
People for Public Art is excited to present a new educational opportunity to New Orleans creatives. Join us at SCALE Workspace to learn about cryptocurrency, NFTs, and how you can step into web3 with your local creative community.
We invite you to an introductory conversation on the ever-evolving sphere of web3 and NFTs. Creators, collectors, and anyone interested in connecting the dots of culture, commerce, and equity – let's talk!
In these inaugural sessions we’ll be onboarding New Orleans’ creatives into the NFT space and discussing all aspects of crypto art and web3 creative opportunities. This women-led series prioritizes the values of community, education, and equal access as we present an entry-point into this new ecosystem.
SPEAKERS: Farrah.ETH, Charm Taylor, Monica Rose Kelly, J. Mack Ent.
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM: Sign up here
UPCOMING:
Collaborative COVID-19 Memorial Project
People for Public Art is currently accepting rolling donations to fund a collaborative COVID-19 Memorial Project.
Artists Monica Rose Kelly and Antonia Zennaro are designing a COVID-19 Memorial Project that will engage artists from different neighborhoods to honor lives that were lost in their community.
Please visit our submission page if you’d like to contribute a story honoring someone whose life was lost to the pandemic, or if you are an artist who is interested in participating in the project. Artists may also send work samples to peopleforpublicartnola@gmail.com.
Winter/Spring 2021:
“New Orleans Queens
of Sound
& Soul”
a
7th Ward House Float
and Permanent Landmark
This project began when homeowner Tricia Diamond approached our founder, Monica Rose Kelly, for a mural on her side fence. Monica and Tricia discussed the lack of representation of women in New Orleans public art, and decided to make a bold statement honoring the musical legacy created by female New Orleans musicians.
First, Monica Rose Kelly and artist Tyla Maiden painted the N. Villere side of the fence with portraits of Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Sha’Condria “iCon the Artist” Sibley, Sunni Patterson, Melissa Weber aka DJ Soul Sister, Renetta Yemika Lowe aka Magnolia Shorty, and Irma Thomas.
We then hired a team of 7 women to paint portraits on the front portion of the house, also adding decorative elements to present the project as a Mardi Gras House Float.
Artist Kara Crowley painted portraits of Robin Barnes, Mahalia Jackson, Charmaine Neville, and Germaine Bazzle. Madeleine Kelly painted portraits of Erica Falls, Doreen Ketchens and the Dixie Cups. Monica and Tyla unified the two sides of the mural by bringing in the botanicals and colors from the N. Villere side onto the Laharpe side, and Monica painted a portrait of homeowner Tricia Diamond onto the front gate.
Artist and woodworker Breanna Thompson created the wood cut-outs mounted to the top balcony, onto which Tyla painted with portraits of The Original Pinettes Brass Band, Rachel Jordan, Mia Borders, and Sweet Emma Barrett.
We will be gifting large and small prints of these magnificent murals in gratitude of your support:
This house float's sponsor is Tricia Diamond, a daughter of New Orleans with deep roots in the music and culture of the 7th Ward. After Hurricane Katrina, she dreamed of returning to the neighborhood to restore her family's deep generational roots. Tricia's long musical lineage includes her father Billy Diamond, who played bass for and later was manager for Fats Domino, and Shirley Goodman, who sang "Let the Good Times Roll" in Shirley & Lee. To commemorate Tricia's homecoming to the 7th ward, we gifted her with a mural of her father Billy on the fence. Since relocating, Tricia has extended this fence around the entire house, creating an opportunity to further expand the mural as participation in the Krewe of House Floats, with the theme "Ladies let the Good Times Roll!". More than a temporary celebration, the mural will be a permanent installation at the intersection of N. Villere and St. Bernard and a beacon signalling a new beginning for arts and music in the neighborhood. Tricia, an educator and dance teacher, hopes to someday open a dance studio in this new home.
People for Public Art comes into the picture:
This past fall, artist Monica Rose Kelly founded People for Public Art with the mission to fund, document and create works of public art in New Orleans and beyond. Their first project was a colossal memorial for the victims of the Hard Rock building collapse, which brought much healing and joy to their families and the community. Once Monica and Tricia brainstormed the idea of honoring New Orleans women in music with a mural, they decided to engage People for Public Art to develop it into a major collaborative public art installation.
Our challenge to the community is this: Match Tricia's $6,000 mural commission, and People for Public Art will hire a group led by female artists to transform this house into a fantastical house float AND permanent mural landmark to the New Orleans Queens of Sound and Soul!
The funds will be used to purchase all paint and construction supplies, pay a fair market wage to our artists and installers, fund documentation/admin/fundraiser gifts, and will cover graffiti and UV protection varnish for the mural as well.
Our design will feature peace lilies and magnolias adorning the royal ladies, emanating musical joy from every single angle of the house. Check out our artist team:
Monica Kelly Studio team, commissioned directly by Tricia Diamond (@bosstwerk):
- Monica Rose Kelly (@monicakellystudio)
- Tyla Maiden (@tyla.the.creative)
- Antonia Zennaro (@antonia.zennaro)
People for Public Art team, commissioned by You!
- Kara Crowley (@artbykaramariee)
- Savanna Stephens (@savartdesign)
- Breanna Thompson (@onewhopaints)
Fall 2020: “Memorial for the Hard Rock III:
Bubba, Quinn, & Jose”
“Memorial for Bubba, Quinn and Jose,” was a collaborative art installation led by Monica Kelly Studio and People for Public Art. It consisted of three colossal portraits of the victims of the Hard Rock collapse. The artwork was installed on Monday, October 12, 2020, one year after the tragedy that changed the life of New Orleanians and disrupted business as usual for the city. For 17 days it was displayed on the east-facing wall of 201 N. Rampart St. where the collapsed site loomed in the background. The two-story tall banners depict Anthony Magrette, Quinnyon Wimberly, and Jose Ponce Arreola, printed from digitally embellished photos that were provided by their families. The three portraits are connected by themes of water to symbolize the victims’ shared love of the sea. The halos of feather-like leaves above their heads represent the joy of their spirits. The banners are flanked at the top and bottom by community quilts conceptualized by artist Antonia Zennaro and created with a group of fiber artists and master sewers. Antonia Zennaro works closely with immigrant communities and the photos of the “eyes” sewn into the quilts represent undocumented men and women who have searched for a bright future in the United States. These quilts represent those who have been deported, detained, or otherwise prevented from pursuing their dream for better lives. Their eyes in the photographs also honor anonymous or otherwise undervalued workers, like whistleblower Delmer Joel Ramirez Palma, who raised concerns about the Hard Rock’s infrastructure, and who has since been deported.
The printed organza eyes of Ramirez Palma, Magrette, Wimberly and Arreola, are hand printed on translucent fabric utilizing Zennaro’s photosynthetic method, which mimics that of a darkroom and film. This translucent fabric with thick ink casts large shadows, multiplying and exacerbating their effect. Much like the people of our city, these larger-than-life eyes are waiting and watching in the shadows, seeking justice for the victims of this tragedy.
Art director Monica Rose Kelly developed this project through her studio in collaboration with developers WAAR Design Office and 201 N. Rampart, LLC. Monica then decided to form People for Public Art with the intention to steward a permanent memorial for the wall.
