The Guardian has a report about musicians bouncing back in the Big Easy, dated November 18:

Against stacked odds, however, one aspect of New Orleans life is being kept alive. Quite apart from the low hubbub emanating from the Quarter, it’s some token of this city’s resolute attachment to its music that the weekend I arrive sees the ceremonial re-opening of one of its most famous clubs, along with a huge outdoor festival (the Voodoo Music Experience). The spirit underlying such events, moreover, is not the kind of crass boosterism you see in the billboards that line the highway into town, streaked with slogans like “Let’s make New Orleans even better.” It comes, in large part, from the musicians themselves.

Like Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins, the Rebirth Brass Band, Monk Boudreaux, Coolbone and the Soul Rebels, Irma Thomas and Ernie “Mother-in-Law” K-Doe’s widow, Antoinette.
Meanwhile, this weekend, some in the arts community (performance, painters, sculptors, ironworkers, etc.) are conducting an Open Studios Day in their devastated neighborhoods, the Treme, Marigny and Bywater districts.  Some presentations are occurring under the spectre of mass evictions–of their neighbors and even of themselves, their families and friends.

See http://www.openstudioartists.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE            
Contact:  Jose Torres Tama
(cell 504.232.2968 for press questions only)

November 27, 2005  

MARIGNY & BYWATER ARTISTS’
“OPEN STUDIOS” TO PROCLAIM THEIR PRESENCE
IN POST KATRINA NEW ORLEANS
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, DEC. 3-4, 2005 FROM NOON-5PM
25 PLUS ARTISTS RETURN & OPEN THEIR DOORS

In the wake of a post-Katrina New Orleans, the first anniversary celebration of the “Open Studio Day” for Marigny and Bywater artists will continue as planned for two days December 3-4, 2005.  The event, which was founded last December to bring attention to the grass roots art scene spawned by the largest concentration of New Orleans artists living side by side in these two historic neighborhoods, has expanded to two days to offer the viewing public a better possibility of visiting the home studios of the artists who have returned to the city.

The event is organized by event founder Jose Torres Tama in collaboration with Ze daLuz and Andrea Garland of l’art noir gallery.

“In the wake of Katrina, many artists have not returned, but those of us who have want to proclaim our presence and claim our rightful voices as invested residents who want to assist in the rebuilding of our beloved New Orleans,” states Jose Torres Tama.

The multi-disciplinary artists returned to New Orleans to face an eviction by a landlord that had begun to demand rent for October when the Marigny area was not even inhabitable without electricity or gas, but he will open the doors to a new home studio at 2453 Dauphine Avenue and continue to organize artists in these historic neighborhoods to claim a rightful voice in the rebuilding process.

Look for more information and maps at web sites www.openstudioartists.org

Open Studio Artists

  1. Richard Sexton, Richard Sexton Studio, multidisciplinary, 1412 Dauphine St.
  2. Paulo Steven Diniz, photography, 1900 Burgundy St.
  3. Bedonna Magid-Wakeman, paintings & drawings, 1908 Burgundy St.
  4. Renee Dodge, jewelry, 2010A Dauphine Street (Sun. only)
  5. Amzie Adams, paintings, 817 Frenchmen St. (Sat. only)
  6. The Faubourg Art Bookstore, group show paintings, 600 Frenchmen St.
  7. Café Rose Nicaud, 632 Frenchmen St. (for maps and flyers)
  8. Ann deLorge, paintings & caricatures, 2328 Royal St.
  9. Jose’ Torres Tama, mixed media drawings, 2453 Dauphine St.
  10. Jessica Radcliffe, High Bohemia, headdresses,1020 Mandeville St., apt A. and Viviana Brenner, scarves and jewelry
  11. Bill Lynn, mechanical sculptures, 1005 Franklin Ave.
  12. Café Flora & Gallery, paintings by Flisiuk, 2600 Royal St.
  13. Eric Ehlenberger, neon artist, Venusian Gardens, 2601 Chartres St.
  14. Sound Café, group show paintings, 2700 Charters St.
  15. Clyde Casey, mobile musical sculptures, 2831 Burgundy St.
  16. Ze’ daLuz, photography, handknit accessories, 3000 Burgundy St.
  17. Phyllis Parun, sculpture and photography, 3115 Dauphine (Sun. only)
  18. Deirdre Favreau, paintings and photography, 618A Louisa Street
  19. Jim Sohr, paintings, 831 Louisa St.
  20. Christopher Porche West, photographs, Porche West Gallery, 3201 Burgundy St.
  21. Rachelle Matherne, greenKangaroo, recycled fashion/jewelry, 923 Louisa St.
  22. Marrus, gouchae & watercolor paintings, 617 Gallier St.
  23. Violet Skye, paintings and Jewelry, 1006 Piety St. 22. Marrus, gouache and watercolor paintings, 617 Gallier St.
  24. Gila Rayberg, ceramic & mixed media, Gila Mosaics Studio, 905 Independence
  25. Pati D’Amico & Bill Warren, paintings and sculpture Waiting Room Gallery, 904 Pauline St.
  26. Andrea Garland and Jeffrey Holmes, photography and multi-media, l’art noir gallery, and Daniel Finnigan paintings

The Guardian article closes with the ceremonial reopening of Tipitina’s, the club made famous by its house band, The Neville Brothers, who are still regrouping in Texas:

The real thing arrives four hours later, when we make our way to the ceremonial re-opening of Tipitina’s, packed with a crowd split 50/50 between black and white, and vibrating to the music delivered by a locally-renowned troupe called Big Sam’s Funky Nation. Their final song is a rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze, which duly progresses – as tends to happen here – into a loose-ended, high-spirited jam, punctuated by an ad-libbed hookline: “We gon’ have a good time/We all gon’ have a good time.”

Six months ago, it would have seemed innocuous, just another joyous exhortation bouncing around a city where they were yelled in their thousands. Set against the horrors that have recently happened here, it could easily seem ludicrously trite. Hollered by freshly returned musicians, and shouted back by hundreds of New Orleanians, it sounds positively defiant.

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