Let the tour begin!
Our
time at this year’s Creativation by NAMTA included a retail store tour, one of
our favorite things to do. Creativation was held in New Orleans, one of our favorite places this year so it
was a win-win situation.
We began
our Retail Adventures on Royal Street, the heart of French Quarter shopping, and our best-loved shopping destination in New Orleans. Royal Street is block after block of extraordinary art galleries, antique stores, boutiques, gift shops, and restaurants highlighted with historic wrought
iron balconies (no visible supports) and galleries (balconies supported by posts or columns), and magnificent architecture that is hundreds of years
old. Since 1911, Royal Street has been home to the Louisiana State Supreme Court building, and each day at 11:00 AM, the blocks on Royal between Bienville and
Orleans Streets become a pedestrian mall, featuring live music by amazing local
artists. There’s a party every day!
Our
first stop on our store tour was the fabulous M.S. Rau, purveyors of museum quality fine art, antiques, and jewels.
Founded
in 1912, M.S. Rau is one of North America’s most respected fine art,
antiques and jewelry galleries. Led by third-generation owner, Bill Rau, the
gallery operates globally, discovering items around the world and placing them
in both public and private international collections. The gallery features carefully selected works from a diverse
array of artists and makers who have defined the fine and decorative arts over
the centuries. These include Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt van
Rijn, Tiffany & Co., Paul Revere, Thomas Chippendale, Louis Comfort
Tiffany, René Lalique and many others. You don’t realize when you enter how large it is, the gallery has multiple stories and is three blocks deep.
We were
treated to a private tour led by Jim Gillis and Danielle Halikias, both bringing
a wealth of history and extraordinary experience to M.S. Rau. And to us, because we all had a million questions.
We first met Jim a number of years
ago when he seemed happy to answer questions from two people who had little to no
knowledge of antiques or fine art. And because it was a day off in sweltering New Orleans we were probably both in shorts and flip-flops. But that’s the thing about this gallery: Everyone who enters is treated like royalty – graciousness is evident in every square foot of M.S. Rau.
Georganne asked Jim if we could see the “secret room” where the finest of art was housed. Jim said no, because there is no more secret room any longer. ALL of the fine art is displayed out in the open in an upstairs gallery.
Stop 2:
Le Jardin & Adorn
Le
Jardin has been referred to as a
“Treasure in a Carriageway”. It’s a wonderful open air art gallery that
sells original handmade art from local artists. The store opens up to a courtyard where art is displayed and artists sometimes come to create. On the left is another show room. Inside Le Jardin you’ll find jewelry, blown
glass pieces, ceramics, all sorts of paintings, photography, prints, outdoor
art, and more. We love all the NOLA based art; a few pieces always find their
way back to St. Charles each trip. Directly next door, you’ll is Adorn,
Le Jardin, its sister store that offers a more refined selection of art pieces.
Le
Jardin and Adorn are owned by Berhane Habtezion – AKA “Mr. B.” Strong proponents
of everything local, B and his late wife Heather, formed a strong support system
for many talented but struggling artists in New Orleans, and for the population of their neighborhood that need a boost, providing support ranging from meals
and clothing to transportation and dental work.
Georganne
met B in 2014 when she asked him to make a cord for a necklace. He looked at her and said, “I know you!” He had been reading our Retail Adventures blog. What a small,
wonderful world!
Stop 3:
Antieau Gallery
Artist Chris Roberts-Antieau is a self-taught artist who paints with thread. Her creations are spectacular and the cool part is you never know which
medium you’ll find “painted” in her gallery. The gorgeous embroidered gown pictured above is one medium, but we have also seen things as diverse as embroidered taxidermied deer. Her highly acclaimed, whimsical embroidered tapestries are rooted in her devotion to JOY. And
sometimes comic relief. Chris’s work tells stories. Store associate Roser opened the gallery early for us and was happy to tell us all about Chris’s art.
Stop 4:
Fleur d’ Orléans
Step inside Fleur d’ Orléans and you’ll find handcrafted jewelry that
is inspired by the fleur de lys and architecture of New
Orleans. Look carefully and you will see traces of the French Quarter, the Garden
District, St. Louis Cathedral, brackets on porches, designs from cast iron
fences and more. Owner and designer Jann Fenner ensures that every collection, and every small design, is lovingly reproduced from buildings around the city,
reflecting its passions and history.
Stop 5:
Papier Plume
If you
are a lover of all things handwritten then Papier Plume is your dream store come true. Owned by NAMTA member
Patrick Rideau, Papier Plume is a light and airy shop offering a collection of beautiful things
you rarely find anymore.
What a
difference writing with a fine instrument makes! The shop carries every kind of
pen you can imagine – and probably a few that you can’t – plus writing inks, quills,
handmade stationery and papers, inkwells, calligraphy sets, luxurious journals, sealing
wax and stamps, accessories, and more. And if you have never used a quill or
fountain pen, you can try one here.
Next, we had a free 30 minutes to roam Jackson
Square (Place d’Armes), a must-see area that was designed in the image of
Paris’s oldest planned square, the Place des Vosges. It’s a gathering place, hub of live music, and an irresistible open-air art gallery. Each year, 200 local
artists paint, draw, and display their artwork outside on the park’s iron fence. Here are two of our favorites:
We are proud owners of a painting from Danny Delancey’s Stroll series.
And we have marked many an occasion with a Jean Bird painting
Basilica of St. Louis – AKA the St. Louis
Cathedral
At the heart of Jackson Square is the St. Louis Cathedral, one of New Orleans’ most notable landmarks. It serves as the mother church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States.
Bee-N-ville).
Stop 7: Mo’s Art Supply & Framing
Mo’s
Art Supply & Framing has been enabling artists since 2003. Owner and NAMTA
member, Simone Burke holds many titles, including Founder, CEO, CFO, COO,
President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Human Resources, Marketing
Manager, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Janitor. She is fierce about her
stores and encouraging you to shop locally. In person.
The
store we visited is housed in a mid-century church that glows with stained
glass and is filled with a huge selection of art materials, plus design-centric
gifts for home and studio. There’s even a custom frame shop where the baptismal
pool used to be. Simone says You WILL be converted. And we were!
After our time at Mo’s Art Supply & Framing we hopped on the bus to spend the remainder of the day in business seminars and hands-on workshops at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. All in all we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day – we are already making plans for next year’s tour when Creativation by NAMTA will be held in Seattle!
By the way, if you are part of the creative industries and have not joined the National Art Materials Association (NAMTA), you should. And if you haven’t visited New Orleans yet, you should do that, too. And take us with you!
COPYRIGHT KIZER & BENDER 2024 | Retail Adventures Blog
