On the drawing board . . . a new arts center celebrating New Orleans’s heritage and cultural impact in our unique community
This new Arts Center has exhibit and classroom spaces emerging from the existing historic mid-century building. A translucent level rises creating a new home for this artist’s art work and provides spaces for today’s artist to immerse themselves and experience a different perspective of the world and city around them that also inspired this renowned artist. A realist, and unlike the artists of his time, the addition symbolizes today’s realism rising from the architecture of decades ago. Complementary to a classic tutu, the addition’s structure serves as the bodice and the unique various layers of fabric is represented by the playful perpendicular, yet subdued palette of various depth and transparency, glass fins. The juxtaposition of the panels respond to the existing structure’s orientation along the avenue, mimicking this artist’s style of painting that responded to artificial light versus capturing his subjects’ orientation with light and shadow. These panels also correlate to the movement occurring beyond as patrons circulate within the spaces, enjoying and learning the various arts that will call this Arts Center home. The addition also acknowledges the existing architecture, revealing the circulation volume and spaces above while keeping the existing spaces intact.
