New Orleans, October 26-28, 2007
Events
Celebrate culture Louisiana style, right in the heart of the Big Easy.
From food to music, Louisiana has its own inimitable style. Experience the heart and soul of Louisiana culture at this spectacular, weekend-long festival, featuring an array of events, seminars, performances, and excursions led by experts from the Smithsonian Institution. Discover the diversity of this unique state as you enjoy historic tours, culinary tastings, art seminars, live music and more. It's all happening at Smithsonian CultureFest 2007.
Some events may require tickets. Please review the schedule
below to find out if the event requires tickets and how tickets can
be purchased.
| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 7:00pm | |||
| Event: | Come Fall in Love with Louisiana CultureFest Opening Cocktail Reception |
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| Description: | Toast the opening night of CultureFest at a cocktail reception featuring a musical performance by Dr. Anthony Brown and ensemble. Join us and meet the CultureFest experts who will be hosting the events throughout the weekend. Musical performance curated by Libra LaGrone, Curator of Music at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. | |||
| Location: | The Ogden Museum of Southern Art 925 Camp Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Required. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Program Free | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 8:30am - 10:00am | |||
| Event: | Breakfast on the Bayou | |||
| Description: | Share a bite with a gator at this entertaining family breakfast. As you dine in the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, you'll find out why Louisiana's vanishing wetlands are an important part of our ecosystem, and learn more about the creatures that call them home. You'll also enjoy a special treat: a nose-to-nose look at the Aquarium's white alligator. | |||
| Experts: | Alexandra Cousteau | |||
| Location: | Audubon Aquarium of the Americas 1 Canal Street, New Orleans |
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| Reservations: | Required. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Adults $17, Children $10. Includes aquarium admission and breakfast. | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 10:00am - 4:00pm | |||
| Event: | Arts Market of New Orleans | |||
| Description: | The monthly market presented by the Arts Council of New Orleans features paintings, photography, jewelry, and other exciting pieces from the region’s best artisans. Live local music. Kids Tent with entertainment and creative crafts. Food vendors. | |||
| Location: | Palmer Park Uptown New Orleans at the corner of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues |
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| Reservations: | Not necessary | |||
| Admission: | Free | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 11:30am - 1:00pm | |||
| Event: | Panel Discussion: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid on Tokyo | |||
| Description: | After the shock of the Pearl Harbor attack on the United States in 1941, President Roosevelt and his military advisors planned what was to be the first United States air raid on the Japanese home islands during World War II. The top-secret raid, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle on April 18, 1942, made U.S. military history: it was the first time that U.S. Army Air Force bombers launched from a U.S Naval aircraft carrier on a combat mission. This distinguished panel of U.S. military and American history experts will discuss the influence Jimmy Doolittle had on the technical and strategic planning of the Doolittle Raid. Our special guest, Major General Jones, a Doolittle Raider, will share his memories of that historic day and give a firsthand account of his part in the raid. | |||
| Panelists: | Dik Alan Daso, National Air & Space Museum's Curator of Modern Military Aircraft; Martin Morgan, author, historian and Director of Research, National WWII Museum; Retired Major General David M. Jones, Doolittle Raider and pilot of Crew #5 | |||
| Moderator: | Dr. Allan Millet, renowned historian, author and Director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans | |||
| Location: | National WWII Museum 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with museum admission. Adults $14, Youth $6, Seniors $8 | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 11:00am - 12:00pm | |||
| Event: | A Historic Walking Tour: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 | |||
| Description: | St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is more than just New Orleans' oldest cemetery–it's the
final resting place of some of the city's most illustrious citizens, including Etienne Boré, pioneer
in sugar development; Homer Plessy, civil rights activist; and, according to legend, Voodoo Queen
Marie Laveau. Founded in 1789, the cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is an Official Project of Save America's Treasures. Take an enlightening one-hour walking tour
through this historic landmark with licensed guides from Save Our Cemeteries, a New Orleans non-profit
organization. Local expert Ann Masson kicks off the tour with a brief talk on 19th-century mourning customs. This year, Save Our Cemeteries, Inc., the New Orleans-based non profit dedicated to preserving the city's unique above-ground burial sites, is sponsoring Cemeteryscape 2007. Cemeteryscape 2007 is the organization's 16th annual juried photography exhibit, featuring forty cemetery photographs taken by both amateur and professional photographers. The exhibit is showing at The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal Street, 2nd Floor, New Orleans from August 23 - September 20. The following photographs were selected as the top three by the judges panel.
For more information about this exhibit or to find out how to purchase a photo to benefit Save Our Cemeteries, visit www.saveourcemeteries.org or call 504-525-3377. |
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| Experts: | Ann Masson, Save Our Cemeteries Tour Guides | |||
| Location: | Meet at the Basin Street Station Visitors Center 501 Basin Street Station, across the street from the cemetery. | |||
| Reservations: | Required. Please call Louise at 504.525.3377 no later than Thursday, October 25, 2007. | |||
| Admission: | $10 due at time of event | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 11:00am - 2:00pm | |||
| Event: | World Cultural Economic Forum Panel Discussion & Luncheon | |||
| Description: | In Louisiana, culture means business. To leverage the state's unique heritage and to
ensure that it remains the driving force and embodiment of a global cultural economy, the Office of the
Lieutenant Governor, together with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, is developing
a new initiative, the World Cultural Economic Forum (WCEF) to be unveiled in its demonstration year, August 16-26, 2007.
As a cornerstone of economic revitalization in Louisiana and building from the success of the annual Louisiana Cultural Economy Summits, the WCEF is designed as a statewide event to coincide annually with the anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Forum, which will bring together cultural ambassadors, educators, and arts and cultural leaders from around the world, will feature a series of events, panels and performances designed to demonstrate the value of culture internationally. Deeply embedded and persistent international influences in the culture of Louisiana make it a unique destination to serve as a meeting place for nations to gather for cultural exchange. On August 25, 2007, the initial Executive Session of the WCEF will focus on laying the foundation for a healthy cultural economy, building investment and financing new cultural economic models, and utilizing culture to find common higher ground in communities and across the globe. This component of the forum will provide a space where matters of cultural economy will be discussed and best practices shared, to promote greater participation in international dialogue and exchange, and, by doing so, to promote culture as a means of sustainable development. A report based on the proceedings of the WCEF Executive Session will be distributed at CultureFest for this panel discussion on the cultural economy. The panel will expand upon the WCEF executive session and revisit the themes presented at the Forum. Cultural economy experts will provide insights on the Forum's findings and discuss the future of the global economy. |
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| Location: | New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) 2800 Chartres Street, New Orleans |
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| Reservations: | Required. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Program Free | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 1:30pm - 2:30pm | |||
| Event: | Inside/Out: Their Outsider Art, Your History | |||
| Description: | The bigger the appetite for "Outsider Art," the fuzzier the definition. Today, it's used to describe anyone from the Gees Bend quilters to Haitian mural painters. Now it's time to untangle the threads. The quilters, the muralists, the Bayou carvers–they all come from long traditions of their own that are as rich and complex as Andy Warhol's. It's only recently that anyone has bothered to study them. Amei Wallach goes inside some of the traditions and the art. | |||
| Experts: | Amei Wallach | |||
| Location: | The Ogden Museum of Southern Art 925 Camp Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with paid museum admission. Adults $10, Children $5, Seniors $8 | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 3:00pm - 5:00pm | |||
| Event: | Louisiana's Ark of Taste: A Feast of Endangered Food Traditions | |||
| Description: | Join Culinary Activist Poppy Tooker for a cooking demonstration and tasting of unique Louisiana delicacies. These foods are especially remarkable because they've been singled out as endangered by Slow Food's Ark of Taste, an organization whose mission is to preserve and celebrate the economic, social and cultural heritage of international food traditions. You'll savor shrimp, oysters, Creole cream cheese, andouille sausage and calas in regional recipes, and get an expert's take on the distinctions between Cajun and Creole food. | |||
| Experts: | Poppy Tooker | |||
| Location: | The Savvy Gourmet 4519 Magazine Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Required. Reservations can be made online at www.savvygourmet.com or by calling the store: 504.895.COOK (2665) | |||
| Admission: | $45 per person, including non-alcoholic beverages and a full meal | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 4:00pm | |||
| Event: | Royal Street: An Inside Look at a Multicultural Art Mecca | |||
| Description: | Royal Street is a cultural beacon, famous for its mix of art galleries, shops and antiques stores. Local artist Fredrick Guess takes you on an insider's tour of the area's groundbreaking art scene to meet the gallery owners and learn more about the art and artists they represent. The tour begins with a 45-minute cocktail reception at one of Royal Street's Miltenberger residences, a historic space donated for the tour by Susan Hoffman, a Hollywood producer based in New Orleans. | |||
| Experts: | Frederick Guess of the Fredrick Guess Studio | |||
| Location: | Meet in front of the Fredrick Guess Studio 910 Royal Street, New Orleans |
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| Reservations: | Required. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Program Free | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 5:00pm | |||
| Event: | Hurricane on the Bayou | |||
| Description: | Come experience a film that documents nature's fragile beauty and awesome power. "Hurricane on the Bayou" takes an in-depth look at the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina on Southern Louisiana's wetlands, people and wildlife. Join us for a special screening and an insightful presentation by Alexandra Cousteau, who will talk about the importance of preserving Louisiana's wetlands, and why they matter to all of us. | |||
| Experts: | Alexandra Cousteau | |||
| Location: | Entergy IMAX Theatre (located at the Aquarium of the Americas) 1 Canal Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Not necessary. Seating is limited | |||
| Admission: | Free with purchase of "Hurricane on the Bayou" IMAX ticket. Adults $8, Children $5, Seniors $7 | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 6:00pm | |||
| Event: | Toast: The New Orleans Cocktail | |||
| Description: | Among the many theories on the origin of the cocktail, some historians theorize that mixing up tasty, alcoholic beverages began in New Orleans near the end of the 18th century, with Peychaud's Bitters as one of the main ingredients. In celebration of New Orleans' esteemed place in the history of the cocktail, join Poppy Tooker for an All-New Orleans mixology class, which will serve up a menu of the best drinks in town, including the Sazerac, the Ramos Gin Fizz, the Hurricane (made fresh, not with a mix!), and the Monteleone Hotel-created Vieux Carre. | |||
| Experts: | Poppy Tooker | |||
| Location: | The Savvy Gourmet 4519 Magazine Street, New Orleans |
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| Reservations: | Required. Reservations can be made online at www.savvygourmet.com or by calling the store at 504.895.COOK (2665) | |||
| Admission: | $35 per person, including four traditional New Orleans cocktails | |||
| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 7:30pm | |||
| Event: | A Louisiana Musical Journey | |||
| Description: |
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| Experts: | Dr. Anthony Brown and ensemble | |||
| Location: | Tipitina's French Quarter 233 N. Peters Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Required. Go to http://www.tipitinas.com to reserve your tickets. | |||
| Admission: | $20 | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 11:00am - 12:00pm | |||
| Event: | Understanding Southern Art | |||
| Description: | The conversation about what defines or distinguishes Southern art has become heightened post-Katrina. When did Southern art become a distinct subcategory of American art? What are the parameters of this relatively new discipline? How do we address the challenges to artists and art institutions in the post-Katrina era? These questions and more will be discussed in this provocative presentation led by Dr. J. Richard Gruber, Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. | |||
| Experts: | Dr. J. Richard Gruber | |||
| Location: | The Ogden Museum of Southern Art 925 Camp Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with paid museum admission. Adults $10, Children $5, Seniors $8 | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 12:30pm | |||
| Event: | Lunch with Leah: New Orleans' Grande Dame of Creole Cuisine | |||
| Description: | Join Chef Leah Chase, the city's grande dame of Creole cuisine, for home-style New Orleans cooking at the famed Dooky Chase restaurant, which is as legendary for its African-American art as it is for its Creole cooking. The restaurant's evolution from a sandwich shop and lottery-ticket outlet, to thriving bar, to respected family dining establishment has taken place in the historic Treme neighborhood, the oldest free-slave settlement in the South. Featuring commentary by Gene Bourg, local veteran food journalist. | |||
| Experts: | Chef Leah Chase, Gene Bourg | |||
| Location: | The Victorian Room, Dooky Chase's 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Required. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | $65 per person, all-inclusive due at restaurant. Does not include alcoholic beverages. Cocktails may be ordered and paid for separately. | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |||
| Event: | Writers Talk: The Many Faces of Louisiana | |||
| Description: | From Tallulah to Thibodaux, Bastrop to Barataria, New Iberia to New Orleans, Louisiana has been shaped by a mosaic of cultures and traditions, resulting in distinctive regions that differ markedly from the homogenized American landscape. Four regional writers will explore the state's diversity as they read selections from their work, and reflect on the eclectic environment that makes Louisiana so unique. Ultimately, the authors will celebrate the tableau of landscape, humor, heritage and traditions that comprises Louisiana, a place that has been alternately romanticized, adored, pitied and patronized. | |||
| Experts: | Ernest J. Gaines, Joshua Clark, John Biguenet, Chris Wiltz | |||
| Location: | Contemporary Arts Center 900 Camp Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with paid museum admission. General Admission $5, Seniors $3 | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 1:30pm - 3:30pm | |||
| Event: | Genius in Flight: Legendary Aviator General Jimmy Doolittle | |||
| Description: | James "Jimmy" Doolittle was a scientist with a doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT, an aerobatic barnstormer, a racing pilot, a four-star general, and the only recipient of both the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Get to know the man behind the legend with Dik Alan Daso, Curator of Modern Military Aircraft at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, as he offers revealing insights into General Doolittle's life, and illuminates his profound influence on flight technology. | |||
| Experts: | Dik Alan Daso, National Air and Space Museum's Curator of Modern Military Aircraft | |||
| Location: | National WWII Museum 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans |
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| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with paid museum admission. Adults $14, Youth $6, Seniors $8 | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 4:00pm | |||
| Event: | A Sneak Peek of NOSACONN’s Celebrate Africa Week | |||
| Description: | Stop by and listen to the lush sounds of African jazz, fusion tribal music and more as a roster of renowned South African musicians and dancers perform live at Ray’s Boom Boom Room on Frenchmen Street. Louisiana CultureFest and New Orleans South African Connection (NOSACONN) are proud to present these performances as a sneak peek of Celebrate Africa Week, which will be held in New Orleans October 29th through November 4th. | |||
| Performers: | The Mahotella Queens, David Batiste & the Gladiators, Ladysmith Red Lions, Cultural Spears of Botswana and 2 Be Continued Brass Band with the NOSACONN Dancers & Zulu Connection Stilt Dancers — Sponsored By South African Airways & the City of Johannesburg | |||
| Location: | Ray’s Boom Boom Room 508 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | $5 cash at door. | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 3:00pm - 4:00pm | |||
| Event: | Making Music History: Gospel at St. Louis Cathedral | |||
| Description: | New Orleans' contributions to black sacred music are legendary–Mahalia Jackson, one of the world's greatest gospel singers, was born right here in the Big Easy. Shades of Praise, an interracial and interfaith contemporary Gospel choir, continues the tradition with a special performance hosted by Smithsonian expert Dr. Anthony Brown. Under the stirring direction of maestro Al Bemiss, Shades of Praise will lift your spirits and inspire you to raise your voice in song. Don't miss this CultureFest high note in St. Louis Cathedral, an architectural landmark with rich, resonant acoustics. | |||
| Experts: | Dr. Anthony Brown | |||
| Performers: | Al Bemiss and the Shades of Praise Choir | |||
| Location: | St. Louis Cathedral 615 Pere Antoine Aly, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Not necessary | |||
| Admission: | Program Free | |||
| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 | ||||
| Time: | 4:30pm - 5:30pm | |||
| Event: | Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians Song and Dance | |||
| Description: | Mardi Gras Indians are an integral part of New Orleans culture. According to historians, these social organizations were formed during the turbulent reconstruction decades following the Civil War, and were designed to provide social, cultural and financial support for newly freed Blacks. Today, Mardi Gras Indians don elaborate, colorful costumes as they entertain crowds of fans with African-inspired music and dance. This dazzling CultureFest performance is presented by the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians, the oldest of the Mardi Gras Indian gangs. | |||
| Performers: | Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council | |||
| Location: | Contemporary Arts Center 900 Camp Street, New Orleans | |||
| Reservations: | Recommended. Reserve your tickets now » | |||
| Admission: | Free with paid museum admission. General Admission $5, Seniors $3 | |||
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