WRITTEN BY Hillary Crittendon and Laura Martin of The SoGood
New Orleans is a mecca for art and design, and you’re bound to find inspiration—whether exploring the quaint and varied interior design shops on Magazine Street or venturing into the galleries of local artists like Mallory Page, Amanda Stone Talley, Ashley Longshore or Alexis Walter. We’ve yet to leave without anxiously writing about a new discovery, and we can’t get enough of the creative women behind many of our favorite stops. Here’s a SoGood take on discovering great art in the Big Easy.
We start our tour at the Martine Chaisson Gallery, just around the corner from historic Julia Street Studios. Martine, who has incredible taste, is bringing a thoughtful selection of emerging and mid-career contemporary artists to New Orleans. Venture upstairs from her sleek white gallery to find a gorgeous ballroom that holds special events and houses her personal collection of artwork (including some really killer Hunt Slonem). Around the corner from Martine, you’ll find the workshop and gallery of artist Mallory Page, known for monochromatic colored work that evokes acute emotion. Stop into her studio, and you’ll likely find the artist at work on a bevy of human-scale canvases (think 72×72) that are truly breathtaking.
We love The Beauty Shop gallery, a true hidden gem owned by Rebecca Rebouché. The New Orleans artist hosts First Friday evenings at her studio and gallery space in a fun and light-hearted atmosphere that often involves someone spontaneously playing tunes on her piano.
Along Magazine Street, you’re sure to be inspired by the likes of Villa Vici, Perch Home and Rivers Spencer. These savvy interior designers own chic and varied boutiques, with a closely curated selection of art, furnishings and lighting. With 40 years in the business, Gerrie Bremermann is “la grande dame” of the New Orleans interior design scene. Her store boasts swathes of her signature whites and French antiques, as well as a fantastic variety of local art from the likes of Alexis Walter and Amanda Talley (Both have fabulous New Orleans studios and will welcome you for a visit if you are in town!) If you’re thinking of art outside the box, we’d recommend visiting Julie Neill for gorgeous custom lighting or Nancy Sharon Collins, known for the art of engraving.
In addition to visiting native artists, we’re big fans of Gallery Orange and Soren Christensen Gallery. Both galleries are focused on highlighting amazing contemporary artists.
ABOUT HILLARY CRITTENDON AND LAURA MARTIN OF THE SOGOOD
Hillary and Laura met in the second grade in their hometown of Richmond, VA. They became fast friends and spent years bonding over a mutual love of design, music and all things French.
Over the years, they relied on each other for advice on everything from boys, brands and college choices to careers, art and dermatologists. Recognizing the value of that advice and realizing how frequently women turn to friends for recommendations is what led them to combine forces in 2013 to create The SoGood, a place where women can discover the best local providers based on trusted recommendations from friends. The SoGood was created to help busy women, like themselves, live a good life—one filled with family and friends, great design, good food, many celebrations, happy homes—and maybe just a bit more free time.
Leave a Reply