Wanda Wiggins, artist

by Sarah Griggs

If you follow the blaring trumpets and aroma of Cafe Du Monde beignets, you are sure to stumble across the Dutch Alley Artist’s Co-Op located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The co-op, which is less than a block away from the famous coffee and pastry shop, features a variety of local artists and has monthly spotlights. The July artist of the month is Wanda Wiggins, a contemporary African folk artist who creates collages using card stock, paints and fabrics.

“I create mixed-media collages using imported African fabrics combined with card stock, decorative paper and hand-painted backgrounds,” she said.

Wiggins’ “Dancing Sisters” collection draws inspiration from images of dancers and enjoys focusing on the idea that sisters are two different people cut from the same cloth.

“I select fabrics with many different designs and colors, which allows me to cut the fabric in a way that makes multiple pieces from one cloth, but appears differently,” she said.

Although the fabrics Wiggins uses are imported, she purchases her materials from local small business owners in the area. Additionally, she does her best to use all the fabric, even if it does not fit into her collages by creating blank greeting and post cards.

“I have fabrics that don’t always fit the pattern I need,” she said. “They don’t always work as collages, but they do work as note cards. So the [card collection] is called ‘The fabrics of Life.'”

For more information about Wiggins, or to view the other artists featured at the co-op, visit www.dutchalleyartistsco-op.com.

Craftsman working

by Ashley Yap

Jeb, a coppersmith at the Bevolo in New Orleans, creates a lamp. Jeb said he ships the lamps all over the world.

James Jensen, artist

by Charles Erikson

Nestled in a side street behind the Cafe Du Monde, the Dutch Alley Artist’s Co-op serves as a brick-and-mortar shop for local artists. James Jensen, who makes “Glamor Trash” from up-cycled record vinyl, talked about art and New Orleans. He came to visit a friend who worked in Tulane, but decided to move.

“I found I had lived here in another life spiritually,” Jensen said.

Jensen taught photography for a few years, and, while he no longer teaches, he did like the way that young people “discovered and had fun because they had never done anything like that.” 

Musicians not respected

by Maham Khan

From street corners to bars and cafes, NOLA musicians keep tourists entertained with the city’s vibrant sounds.

“This is our job–like anyone else’s,” said Chris Cotton, lead singer of his band Rock Out after he finished a four hour performance Tuesday night at The Yard on Frenchman.

But often tourists are unaware that the city’s musicians rely heavily on their tips to earn their living.

“We just want people to enjoy themselves and at the end they can let us know if we did, with their tips,” Cotton explained with a chuckle.

20-year-old  saxophonist Utopia Francois, who is a freshman at Stillman College, was a guest performer with the band.

“I wish people knew our back stories and how we keep this city alive,” Francois added.

 

NOLA pup crawl

by John Horvath, Katie Merritt, Lynne Schneider and Kristiane Sonnenberg

Group 5 decided to look for the dogs of New Orleans. We hopped on the St. Charles Streetcar line and rode to the Carrollton neighborhood. Along the way we conducted an interview from the streetcar window and learned about dog friendly areas in New Orleans. After getting off to meet Violet (who belongs to our group member, Kristiane), we went to New Orleans City Bark to talk to more pet owners about their dogs and their relationships with them.

This project compiles social media posts, videos, and written profiles of the pets and owners that we met on our Pup Crawl.

 

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Dogs of NOLA