Public Art in New Orleans: Murals, Sculptures and More, New Orleans, Louisiana (B)

You might not immediately associate New Orleans with public art. You might even argue that the French Quarter is a work of art in itself, and it is certainly true that no graffiti artist would be allowed to paint on its unique buildings. However, look elsewhere and you’ll discover a wealth of art of a different type: murals, sculptures and painted street furniture. So where can you find the best public art in New Orleans?

For many street art enthusiasts the most exciting discovery is that there are several Banksy artworks in New Orleans. The British graffiti artist visited the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and created a series of new images. Some of them have now disappeared, but I managed to track down a few…

One of the best known New Orleans Banksys is “Umbrella Girl aka NOLA”, on the corner of Kerlerec and North Rampart streets. This shows a young girl with rain dripping onto her head from the inside of her umbrella, a clear political commentary on the ineffectual official response to the Katrina emergency. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).