Frenchmen Street Art Market (Photo: Joshua Brasted)
Art is everything in New Orleans. It’s present at every scale from decorated homes to the entire city’s eccentric style. Additionally, talented local artists set up daily, lining the gates of public spaces like Jackson Square with their vibrant masterpieces.
The best part about the New Orleans art scene is that it doesn’t go to sleep! Many museums and famous gallery-filled streets hold nightly art events for visiting enthusiasts.
New Orleans Museums
NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art), the oldest fine arts institution in New Orleans, is considered to be one of the best art museums in the South. Every Friday, NOMA extends its hours for a special night viewing of the museum. From 5–9 p.m. guests of all ages can enjoy a diversity of art activities that vary each week.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art at the University of New Orleans is dedicated to manifesting the culture and history of the American South through art. If you’re looking for an artsy night out with a good glass of wine, swing by “Ogden After Hours” on Thursday evenings from 6-8 p.m. Enjoy live music from some of the best southern musicians and debrief with lectures from historians. And don’t forget the full bar!
New Orleans Gallery Art Walks
Visitors come from all around the world to visit the art galleries of New Orleans. Gallery-filled streets like Julia Street, St. Claude and Royal Street hold once-a-month art walks where several art galleries remain open after hours.
Julia Street, located in the arts district of New Orleans, hosts its art walk on the first Saturday of every month. Galleries are free and open to the public from 6–9 p.m.
On the second Saturday of each month, the galleries of St. Claude open up after hours. As for Royal Street in the French Quarter, the after-hours art walk is held on the third Thursday of each month. Mark your calendars!
Annual Art Walks in NOLA
If you’re lucky enough, you may be visiting New Orleans during one of the annual art walks. White Linen Night, Dirty Linen Night and Arts for Art Sake are annual art events filled with open galleries, private parties, flowing wine, and most importantly, art.
NOLA’s Night Art Markets
Of course, after-hours events aren’t limited to museums and galleries. For the unconventional art connoisseur there is Frenchmen Street Arts Market, located centrally on — as you guessed — Frenchmen Street, the locally-approved alternate to Bourbon Street. The market is generally open Thursday through Sunday from 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Vendors of all art forms showcase and sell meticulously crafted paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and much more.
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