This January Degas Gallery welcomes the Advanced Abstract class of Nell Tilton of New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts to exhibit and sell artwork. Each student submitted two paintings for consideration and Nell chose one from each. Please stop by and see our show on view through February 2nd.
Nell Tilton visited Degas Gallery on October 12, 2023 with her Advanced Abstract students to see and discuss Zona Wainwright’s work on exhibit.
English bluebells have an iconic status in British life. The enchantment of these dainty flowers is deeply embedded in early English myth, folklore and history. Authors from Shakespeare to Emily Brontë, John Keats, and C. S. Lewis have written about them. Mozart wrote his first opera at age eleven entitled “Apollo and Hyacinthus” from the Greek myth in which the bluebell is named. In the language of flowers bluebells symbolize humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love.
As Dallas-based painter Lorraine Villere describes them, the English bluebell forests are the “beating heart of Great Britain.” As part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second that have taken place this spring, Degas Gallery presented an April exhibition of Villere’s bluebell paintings. In capturing the exquisite beauty of sites like Micheldever Wood where bluebells grow in profusion and are protected by an act of Parliament, her paintings serve to celebrate the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, in which trees are being planted around the world.
Via this link you may reach a video capturing an interview of Lorraine Villere with Dr. E. Quinn Peeper, Chairman of the English-Speaking Union of the United States, as well as Dr. Peeper’s excellent musical tribute to Her Majesty. https://www.esuus.org/esu/
SATURDAY: Please join us at Degas Galleryas we discuss painting technique with artist Jacques Soulas from 6 – 7 pm. Café Degas will supply hors d’oeuvres as well!
SUNDAY: The final day to see Orleans Collection at NOMA. This exhibition shows a selection of works from the French Regent, Phillippe II, Duke of Orleans’ magnificent collection. The must-see show brings together masterpieces by Veronese, Valentin, Poussin, Rubens, and Rembrandt that formerly graced the walls of the Palais Royal in Paris. Make sure you see it this weekend before the exhibition closes on Sunday, January 27th!
Saturday, December 15th, 10 am - 5 pm: Degas Gallery is holding our annual Holiday Smalls Art Show! This is a wonderful one-day sale of small artworks that are ideal for holiday gifts. All works will be 30 inches or less.
This Saturday, December 1 is Julia Street’s second annual Champagne Sparkle. On this lovely First Saturday, galleries welcome the holiday season with evening exhibition openings, champagne tastings, and lights lining the street. It is a night that truly glistens, and we hope to see you there!
The event is free and open to the public and will take place Saturday, December 1st from 6-9 pm on Julia Street.
Friday, November 2, The Rose Crystal Tower, a sculpture by world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, was unveiled at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. At 22 feet tall, this soaring bright pink sculpture welcomes City Park visitors as they enter the garden. David Kerstein, president of the Helis Foundation, which is underwriting the sculpture in the park, says "Everything we do, in particular with our programs with the various museums, is to ensure there is an educational component to it. Young people from public and charter schools will have the opportunity to see this art without charge, and hopefully it will inspire them.” We are thrilled to have this beautiful piece of public art in our city, and cannot wait to go see it!
This past weekend, the Decorative Arts Trust held a fall symposium in New Orleans to introduce its members to the rich history of the city in timing with the tricentennial. Throughout their stay, members were led on lovely historic tours exploring the French Quarter, Garden District, and Creole plantations with New Orleans historians. Additionally, several art historians from New Orleans gave talks throughout the weekend. Cybèle Gontar, Degas Gallery owner/director, gave a talk Sunday morning on a show she recently curated at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Salazar: Portraits of Influence in Spanish New Orleans, 1785-1802.
We are excited to attend O What a Night! a gala dinner and auction at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art with one of our artists, Marcia Holmes tomorrow night! Marcia’s painting Heart to Heart is featured in the Louisiana Contemporary show and will be auctioned along with the work of many other local artists at this event. O What a Night! is a fantastic event here in New Orleans, celebrating southern art, culture, and cuisine. This glamorous night not only supports the many talented artists of New Orleans, but also the mission of the Ogden: “to broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South.”
Marcia’s painting Heart to Heart, 2017 is 31 x 31 in. framed, pastel on paper. You can see more details about the piece and the auction here.