Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9650 | HOURS
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9650 | HOURS
Teaching artist Jamar Pierre spent four weeks with 1st – 5th graders from Young Audiences Charter School at Lawrence D. Crocker and Kate Middleton Campus to explore the history of jazz in the city of New Orleans.
For the residency, Jamar Pierre began with an introduction to the rich musical history of New Orleans starting with Congo Square. The square was a sacred ground where enslaved Africans once congregated and laid the rhythmic foundations of what would become New Orleans jazz. Their resilience, artistry and defiant joy in the face of oppression shaped the cultural heartbeat of the city. Students learned about jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong and Sweet Emma Barrett. Next, Pierre introduced his work through the Tchoupitoulas Flood Wall Mural, a monumental public artwork that tells the story of the city’s resilience and cultural heritage. Pierre worked with community members to depict the history of New Orleans along the flood wall on Tchoupitoulas Street.
The residency had two components – a collaborative mural depicting New Orleans imagery and students’ individual jazz-inspired drawings. During the first week, students honed their drawing skills by practicing on exemplars. First graders drew three different types of musical notes while second and third graders drew a variety of musical instruments such as a saxophone or clarinet. Fifth graders worked on portraits of Louis Armstrong and the African roots of jazz were represented through drawings of African masks and musical instruments.
In the following weeks, students colored their drawings and cut them out in order to be collaged onto the mural. On large sheets of cardboard, Pierre sketched the outline for the mural which included portraits of Sweet Emma Barrett, Louis Armstrong and the acronym NOLA. Groups of 3rd and 5th graders took turns creating the mural by painting in designated areas with vibrant colors. During the last week, details were added to the mural and students’ drawings were integrated through collage.
The NOLA Mural, painted in 2022, stands as a vibrant landmark on the Tchoupitoulas Art Corridor (TAC)—a mile-long outdoor museum that transforms the Tchoupitoulas flood wall into a living timeline of New Orleans’ rich cultural and historical narratives. Positioned strategically at the entrance of the Tchoupitoulas Street Walmart, the mural serves as a visual threshold, marking the historical transition from the 1700s to the 1800s.
Designed by Jamar Pierre, the mural invites locals and visitors to engage with New Orleans’ past while celebrating its dynamic present. As part of the largest collaborative public art installation in the American South, the NOLA Mural reclaims public space for community dialogue and reflection.
Within the broader vision of the TAC, the mural underscores the project’s mission: to create a visual conversation that honors the diverse and interwoven histories of New Orleans, highlighting the African, Indigenous, French and Spanish influences that have shaped the city’s identity. The NOLA Mural is a portal to the past, a landmark for the present and a bridge to the future, reaffirming the power of public art to preserve, educate and inspire.
Learn more about Tchoupitoulas Art CorridorAt the heart of the mission of Ogden Museum of Southern Art is the goal to provide educational opportunities for in-depth exploration of the visual arts and culture of the American South. Since 2001, the Learning and Engagement Department has organized artist-in-residence programs, pairing Southern artists with local schools. Working with elementary school students in the medium of the artist’s choice, the artist spends multiple weeks exploring the influence of geography and sense of place. Upon completion of the residency, the students visit the Museum to view their finished artwork installed in the Education Gallery.
