New Orleans Musicians in Art
Selections from the Permanent Collection
Explore works of art inspired by New Orleans music and musicians from HNOC’s holdings.
520 Royal Street
Tricentennial Wing, 2nd Floor
Included with free museum admission
Featuring hidden gems from the museum’s permanent collection, New Orleans Musicians in Art showcases 14 paintings inspired by New Orleans music—in particular, the homegrown jazz heard in Preservation Hall and other legendary venues.
Visual artists driven to depict the music’s makers and moods include Noel Rockmore, whose portraits of Preservation Hall jazz greats—some sketched during live performances—immortalize the dignity and personalities of veteran musicians. Works by Bruce Brice and Herbert Singleton evoke the sorrow and joy of traditional jazz funerals. A church revival scene by J. Haynes Smith captures a moment of community and ecstasy created by spiritual music.
Together, the works invite visitors to meet people and experience atmospheres from nearly a century of New Orleans music.
Highlight: Artist Noel Rockmore’s Preservation Hall Portraits
Artist Noel Rockmore began painting his series Preservation Hall Portraits at the request of Larry Borenstein, an art dealer who in the 1950s began inviting jazz musicians to play at his art gallery—the space where Preservation Hall would eventually be established.
Allan and Sandra Jaffe established the club at 726 St. Peter Street in 1961, to keep traditional jazz alive as newer genres increasingly dominated local and national music scenes. Four of Rockmore’s paintings are on display in New Orleans Musicians in Art.
Support
This exhibition is made possible with support from the Ruth U. Fertel Foundation and WWOZ.
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