Art

Isabelle Jacopin, a Brittany, France-born painter, has been drawn to the world of art since her early childhood. Her artistic journey began at the age of 18 when she embarked on a self-taught exploration of various mediums. Initially, she expressed her creativity by painting on silk, a venture that sustained her livelihood. Throughout the years, Jacopin has remained dedicated to her craft by continuously experimenting with different artistic mediums and techniques.

The Royal Street Arts District is gearing up for what they are calling the best, the biggest and the booziest Dirty Linen Night yet. Traditionally, DLN falls on the Saturday after White Linen Night, the evening of the famed Red Dress Run. This year is no exception. With last year’s shop and event participation exceeding that of any past year, the team planning the event promises a new and exciting face to the much-loved Royal Street party. A new logo and web design promises to capture the essence of the city while streamlining ticket purchasing and event prep.

If we’re being honest, there’s no better way to understand Festival Season in New Orleans than speaking with a local who sleeps, eats, lives, and dies by the festivities. In case you aren’t sure if you know one of these people, here’s how you can identify them. They will start talking about the Jazz Fest line up at the Thanksgiving table. Perhaps you might catch them arguing over which is better: the crawfish bread or the crawfish bread pudding. They will skip work, funerals, weddings, and even post-pone surgeries to avoid any commitment that might fall between March 1st and the end of May.

I love a freak show. You know, the real kind, with the Bearded Lady, the Strong Man, the Lobster Boy, and the twins that are stuck together. Oh, sure, I gravitate to the darkness and spooky factor of it all, but what I really love about a freak show is that it’s essentially an assortment of human beings with remarkable talents and unique attributes who’ve managed to figure out a way to market themselves to the world and turn a real thorn in their sides into something profitable. Throw up a few red and white striped tents, and some flashy blinky lights, and it’s a party.

Once at Vacation Bible School—yes, I went to Vacation Bible School, once and only once—anyway, once at Vacation Bible School when I was 9 years old, we were asked a strange question: if we could be any other person in the world for one day, who would we want to be? Stunned, I raised my hand and stated very clearly that my parents did not allow me to fantasize about things that could not happen, but if I did, I would want to be Gloria Vanderbilt because she was a strong woman with a great head of hair, and I liked denim.