T H E W I D E W O R L D O F C R A F T
S T O R Y B Y
Sonya Stinson
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y
Brady Fontenot
New Orleans,
Louisiana:
All That Craft
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If you want to discover craft in New Or-
leans you need look no further than the
streets. Although it’s present throughout
the city’s many galleries and museums,
craft also appears in architectural adorn-
ments, on tombstones and, of course, in
Carnival floats and costumes. In fact, the
hands of skilled artists and artisans have
created so much of what is quintessential^
New Orleans, it’s ironic that the visual
arts have traditionally received less public
attention than the city’s musical and culi-
nary feats.
Though it may operate in the shadows
of famous jazz bands and gumbo chefs, the
local arts community thrives, inspired by
the city’s eclectic cultural makeup. “We
have lots of different types of people, with
all of them bringing things from their own
culture,” says glass and metal artist Arden
Stewart, a local who owns Nuance Louisi-
ana Artisan Gallery in the Riverbend area,
where St. Charles and Carrollton Avenues
curve into one another.
The metalsmith and jewelry designer
Thomas Mann discovered this for himself
it may operate in the shadows o f famous
ds and gumbo chefs, tide local arts
tty thrives, inspired by the city’s eclectic
makeup.
074 american craft apr/may 09
