The Arts Council of New Orleans and the Joan Mitchell Foundation are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 New Orleans Art in Public Places Commissions:  Continued »

The Arts Council of New Orleans has announced its 2008 Community Arts Award Recipients. “These individuals and organizations are being recognized for their unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions to the arts in New Orleans over many years,” said Mary Len Costa, Interim President of the Arts Council of New Orleans.”

Award Recipients include: Musician Terence Blanchard, actor and writer Ricky Graham, musician Donald Harrison Jr., artist Gene Koss, Stage Director David Morelock, and The Historic New Orleans Collection. Additionally, Mrs. Paula L. Maher will receive the Chairman’s Award.

Ms. Costa added, “It’s time to celebrate the creative spirit – the heartbeat of New Orleans. We invite everyone to join us for this year’s luncheon as we honor those who share their talents and creativity with our city and the world beyond our borders.”

This year’s gala Luncheon will be held on Friday, May 9, 2008 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Riverside Hotel. Patrons will have an extra chance to celebrate the contributions of these extraordinary recipients at an elegant Patron Party hosted by the Windsor Court Hotel on Tuesday, May 6, 2007 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Purchase tickets ONLINE or call 504-523-1465. 

The National Arts Marketing Project rolls on Thursday, May 15th with the afternoon session of our NAMP doubleheader, Arts Advocacy 101: What Every Organization Should be Doing, presented by Jay Dick of Americans for the Arts.

To protect your organization from cuts, one must have an effective arts advocacy program in place before times get tough. In this session, you will learn about effective arts advocacy organizations and programs, how to quickly and accurately communicate with your elected officials, and how to protect the arts from budget cuts.

Join us Thursday, May 15th, 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 938 Lafayette St in New Orleans.  Continued »

The National Arts Marketing Project continues on Thursday, May 15th with Marketing Arts Featuring New Media, presented by Greg O'Neill, Account Executive with Patron Technology, a NYC based online marketing company.

Catch up in the e-marketing race with the five basic steps and five top tips to success! Then take an in-depth look at design and editorial choices that increase "e-effectiveness."

Join us Thursday May 15th, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 938 Lafayette St in New Orleans.

Cost is $15 for current Arts Council members, $20 for all others.
To RSVP, please contact Gene Meneray at 504-218-8869 or via email

Detailed workshop information is listed below...  Continued »

The Arts Council is pleased to announce our partnership with Americans for the Arts to bring their acclaimed National Arts Marketing Project to New Orleans. Beginning on March 18th, and continuing with six events through September, this project features national speakers focusing on topics such as Creating a Marketing Plan, Attracting and Keeping Corporate Sponsorship, Finding New Audiences, Arts Advocacy and the like.

All workshops build upon NAMP’s ten year record of success in helping organizations better understand the marketplace, create aggressive audience development programs, increase earned income, and to further develop your marketing expertise. The culmination of this series is the National Arts Marketing Convention, to be held this year in Houston, TX on November 9-12. As part of our agreement with Americans for the Arts, the Arts Council has secured 20 scholarships to the National Convention. Detailed information on each workshop is listed below.  Continued »

The Arts Council is pleased to announce the availability of grants for arts activities in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes. Guidelines and application forms are now available for download.

Click here to download guidelines and application forms.

Grants available in the May 15, 2008 deadline are in the Project Assistance and Technical Assistance categories. Project Assistance grants are available to organizations and to individuals presenting arts activities and projects that benefit or involve the community. Technical Assistance grants are available to organizations and provide access to professional expertise or training opportunities relevant to arts programming or management.

Arts Council staff will conduct grants workshops covering grant eligibility, grant categories, application requirements including how to submit online through the Online Granting System, and tips on how to submit a competitive application. Workshops are free and open to the public; attendance is strongly recommended for prospective applicants. Interested parties may attend any of the workshops listed below. Please see workshop schedule below.  Continued »

The Arts Council of New Orleans is pleased to announce a new opportunity for public art in New Orleans. In collaboration with the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Arts Council will commission 10 new public art pieces to be installed throughout the City of New Orleans.

Artists from Louisiana and Mississippi who were affected by Katrina or Rita are eligible to apply through a Call to Artists. Artists will compete through a juried review for ten $25,000 commissions.

The commissions provide the opportunity for local and regional artists to showcase their work parallel to the international exhibits: Sculpture for New Orleans and Prospect One International Biennial. Projects will be accepted provided they are durable, meet safety regulations, and can be installed in the public venue for a minimum of two years.

Click here for the Call to Artists and more information.  

Be the first to know what are the hot events in New Orleans this week and save half off the cost of admission. Just click to sign up for NOLAFunSavers and you will have special offers delivered directly to your email box every Thursday.

FunSaver subscribers have already enjoyed half price tickets to

-- Nutcracker Swing presented at Loyola by Lula Elzy New Orleans Dance Theatre

-- Puccini's Trittico and Faust presented by the New Orleans Opera Association

-- Music of Spheres from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

-- Holiday Singalong with Judith Owen & Harry Shearer at the Contemporary Arts Center

-- Beaujolais Wine and Food Festival by the French American Chamber of Commerce

-- and much more!

Don't worry, we don't share. We will not share your email address with outside parties, and we also don't share our special half price tickets with anyone who hasn't signed up for NOLAFunSavers.  

Now there is one place to find complete, up to date information on social events, fundraisers and galas in the Greater New Orleans area. It's the Save the Date online calendar presented by the Arts Council of New Orleans.

Click Here to view this new service or to add your event to the calendar. All submitted events are automatically included on NOLAFunGuide.com, NewOrleansOnline.com and on the Arts Council of New Orlean's Save the Date! calendar. 

NOLAFunGuide.com, your go-to guide for New Orleans Arts, Entertainment, & Fun, is offering Current members of the Arts Council who are artists and performers from all disciplines who live, work, or show in Greater New Orleans an ARTIST PAGE on NOLA Fun Guide. This offer is a benefit for current members of the Arts Council of New Orleans only.

To create your page, please email Laura Fincannon the following information:

• Name.
• A brief bio or background.
• A photo of yourself, your artwork or a composite in jpg or gif format.
• Contact information such as address, website, email, phone.
• Upcoming event info that will be included in the initial set up.

Click to see the Artists & Performers Page.