Joggers Madeline Motsinger and Vi Nguyen were catching their breath in City Park late Sunday morning — when a lawn of artwork left them breathless again.
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a city park ‘carousel’ gives artists the customers they’ve been missing
“This is the New Orleans I had known about before,” Nguyen said. “It makes me feel very in love with the city.”
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The displays were part of the Carousel of Culture, which the New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy hosted Saturday and Sunday at the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn and Tricentennial Area. The event united art lovers with vendors, many of whom have struggled to find buyers since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
“It’s been hard for us, because we haven’t had these big markets going,” ceramicist Geraldine Brezca said, noting that JazzFest would have happened this weekend had it not been canceled.
But with more people flocking to their work this weekend, many of the event’s vendors see brighter fortunes ahead.
“People are stopping, picnicking on the lawn and listening to music, which we weren’t getting much of before,” said Antoine Mowatt with Queens Metal Jewelry. “This is definitely helping us out right now.”
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy considers the Carousel of Culture to be a test pilot for similar events. They hope to hold more in the coming months.
“We wanted to do it because we knew the festivals were taking place,” office director Lisa Alexis told WDSU Sunday. “Everyone has an opportunity to start becoming economically stronger than they have in the past.”
READ THE FULL STORY:A City Park ‘Carousel’ gives artists the customers they’ve been missing
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