Hire A Mardi Gras Artist, 2021
At the height of the pandemic, New Orleanians faced the unique challenge of celebrating Mardi Gras safely after the cancellation of all parades and major events. These cancellations hit Carnival artists particularly hard, and many of them soon found themselves packing up their tools for the season. It was a privilege to partner with the Krewe of Red Beans and designer Caroline Thomas to manage the ‘Hire a Mardi Gras Artist’ project, an endeavor that would not have been possible without the commitment and know-how of Red Beans founder Devin Dewulf. Together, we were able to build 24 house floats and create work for 35 Mardi Gras industry artists during a time that felt brutally uncertain. And while the fast and furious pace was tough, this was one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever been a part of. It brought together artists from various float building companies in a way that was unprecedented, and so much was learned through the collaboration. Krewe of Red Beans has been dedicated to supporting New Orleans’ culture bearers since it’s creation in 2009, and they are currently building their first ever headquarters, ‘Beanlandia’. To find out more about their programs and support them, you can visit www.kreweofredbeans.org. Photos above by RHR Photography.