“I am inspired by my experiences outdoors in nature, and from seeing other artists, the internet, and as a hunter in the deep jungles of the antique business. I will always gravitate towards making beautiful things that please my eye. Originally from Massachusetts, I’ve lived in New Orleans so long now that I have grown roots. It is my home and where I create. My art education started at home with my Dad. He always encouraged me to tinker and put things together. My formal schooling … Massachusetts College of Art … The Penland School… and time spent apprenticing under some pretty masterful jewelers… then becoming a full time bench jeweler holding my own shop up …as well as periodic stops at seminars and workshops along the way. I have been making metal things and jewelry since 1987.”
New Orleans, LA – French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils the 28th annual French Quarter Festival Poster by artist Tami Curtis-Ellis. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects a painting that portrays the fun, festive, atmosphere of French Quarter Festival and one that both locals and tourists will identify with. Consideration is given only to local artists. To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales, sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget.
For the 2011 poster, renowned local mixed-media artist, Tami Curtis-Ellis, draws inspiration from legendary New Orleans clarinetist, Pete Fountain and the French Quarter Festival’s All-Stars band including coronetist Connie Jones and clarinetist Tim Laughlin. Tami brings the food, music and culture alive by including elements that personify New Orleans and the French Quarter through her use of rich color, multi dimensional paint application and spontaneous brush stroke technique.
Tami attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston where she received her BA in art education and a BFA in graphic design. She taught art in the public school system and in private institutions, served as education coordinator for the New Orleans Museum of Art, and has owned art based businesses involving pottery, hand-painted fabric items, art licensing and two dimensional art. Tami created posters for the 2008 Satchmo SummerFest poster, the 2009 Bayou Boogaloo, the 2007 Coastal Wine Tour (Southern Breeze magazine), and was the featured artist for the Louisiana Lt. Governor’s Global Economic Forum.
Editions:
1750 Artist-signed & numbered prints, $45
250 Artist Proofs & numbered prints, $65
Image Size 19″ x 28.5″
Poster Size 22” x 34”
New Orleans, LA – French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils the 28th annual French Quarter Festival Poster by artist Tami Curtis-
Ellis. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects a painting that portrays the fun, festive, atmosphere of French
Quarter Festival and one that both locals and tourists will identify with. Consideration is given only to local artists.
To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales,
sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget.
For the 2011 poster, renowned local mixed-media artist, Tami Curtis-Ellis, draws inspiration from legendary New Orleans
clarinetist, Pete Fountain and the French Quarter Festival’s All-Stars band including coronetist Connie Jones and clarinetist Tim
Laughlin. Tami brings the food, music and culture alive by including elements that personify New Orleans and the French
Quarter through her use of rich color, multi-dimensional paint application and spontaneous brush stroke technique.
Tami attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston where she received her BA in art education and a BFA in graphic design. She
taught art in the public school system and in private institutions, served as education coordinator for the New Orleans Museum of
Art, and has owned art based businesses involving pottery, hand-painted fabric items, art licensing and two dimensional art.
Tami created posters for the 2008 Satchmo SummerFest poster, the 2009 Bayou Boogaloo, the 2007 Coastal Wine Tour
(Southern Breeze magazine), and was the featured artist for the Louisiana Lt. Governor’s Global Economic Forum.
Editions:
1750 Artist-signed & numbered prints, $45
250 Artist Proofs & numbered prints, $65
Image Size 19″ x 28.5″
Poster Size 22” x 34”New Orleans, LA – French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils the 28th annual French Quarter Festival Poster by artist Tami Curtis-
Ellis. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects a painting that portrays the fun, festive, atmosphere of French
Quarter Festival and one that both locals and tourists will identify with. Consideration is given only to local artists.
To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales,
sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget.
For the 2011 poster, renowned local mixed-media artist, Tami Curtis-Ellis, draws inspiration from legendary New Orleans
clarinetist, Pete Fountain and the French Quarter Festival’s All-Stars band including coronetist Connie Jones and clarinetist Tim
Laughlin. Tami brings the food, music and culture alive by including elements that personify New Orleans and the French
Quarter through her use of rich color, multi-dimensional paint application and spontaneous brush stroke technique.
Tami attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston where she received her BA in art education and a BFA in graphic design. She
taught art in the public school system and in private institutions, served as education coordinator for the New Orleans Museum of
Art, and has owned art based businesses involving pottery, hand-painted fabric items, art licensing and two dimensional art.
Tami created posters for the 2008 Satchmo SummerFest poster, the 2009 Bayou Boogaloo, the 2007 Coastal Wine Tour
(Southern Breeze magazine), and was the featured artist for the Louisiana Lt. Governor’s Global Economic Forum.
Largely obscured by the coming storm that is Mardi Gras, organizers of the French Quarter Festival recently released a study showing it has the third largest economic impact among major events in New Orleans. The three-day French Quarter Festival saw its economic impact increase 44 percent from $139.6 million in 2009 to $316M last year. And no one was more surprised than the event organizers themselves. “I was totally shocked when I saw the numbers and actually questioned them,” said Marci Schramm, executive director of French Quarter Festivals Inc.
A University of New Orleans study of last year’s festival tied $316 million in spending to the three-day concert event compared with $139.6 million in 2009. Only Mardi Gras, at $468 million in 2010, and the Super Bowl, predicted to range between $350 million and $400 million in 2013 when it will be held again in New Orleans, rank higher.
The biggest reason for the 44 percent increase was the economy, said Janet Speyrer, associate dean for research at UNO’s College of Business Administration. “We were in the worst part of the recession (in 2009) and New Orleans wasn’t exempt. We had people from all over the U.S. coming here and they spent less on shopping and dining,” Speyrer said. Unlike most music festivals, French Quarter Fest is free and takes place along the Mississippi riverfront as opposed to being confined to a specific venue. Instead of spending money exclusively on food and beer vendors inside the Fairgrounds at Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest visitors frequent bars, restaurants and shops throughout the day and night, Speyrer said.
“The Jazz Fest people go out early to get spots and stay until the big acts are over in the evening. That’s where they spend their money,” Speyrer said. “Plus you get whipped out there, so you probably aren’t going to want to go to a fine dining restaurant after, which is not the case at French Quarter Fest.”
On an average day, French Quarter Fest visitors spend $101.42 on meals, $85.98 on lodging, $36.93 on shopping, $33.31 in bars, $23.73 on entertainment, $11.60 on transportation and $7.63 on gambling. “This organization was founded for that reason, to keep this neighborhood healthy,” Schramm said. “So it’s wonderful to see all these years later that it’s spiraled into this big thing that makes the shopkeepers, restaurants and bars have a great time before they go into the lean summer months.” The only significant complaint about French Quarter Fest comes from New Orleanians who say tourists have overrun the event.
Last year, more than 54 percent of attendees were from out of town. “The good and bad of the festival is that locals have always embraced it as their own little secret. ‘We’ve got this and nobody knows about it.’ And then it gets discovered by the tourists. It becomes so good for the city and economy but then there’s a little pushback from people who say it’s too crowded,” Schramm said. To address their concerns, festival operators have added an extra day, dubbed Locals Lagniappe Day, on Thursday, April 7. The festival is also expanding its boundaries by adding a stage on Decatur Street and another major stage near the ferry landing next to the Aquarium of the Americas. Future plans include expanding Frenchmen Street and Washington Square in Faubourg Marigny and Armstrong Park on the other side of the French Quarter. “Residents and merchants on Frenchmen say, ‘All your people are parking in our neighborhood anyway so bring the festival down here,’” Schramm said.
The ability to expand, however, requires money. The annual budget of French Quarter Festivals Inc. is $2 million, which covers the costs of its three festivals and salaries for its seven employees. The organization also produces Satchmo Summerfest and Christmas New Orleans Style. “The budget some festivals have for just their T-shirts is half of the budget we have for the entire French Quarter Festival,” Schramm said. “Someone said this is how it works: If you need 10 people to do the job (Jazz Fest producer) Quint Davis will hire 20, (Voodoo Fest producer) Stephen Rehage will hire five and French Quarter Festival will find 10 volunteers.”
Despite the festival’s success, it will never stray from its core mission – providing a showcase for local artists. “We’ve only hired Louisiana musicians and we’ll never change that. Dave Matthews will never headline French Quarter Festival.”
BY: Richard A. Webster, Staff Writer
POSTED: 10:15 AM Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Over 1500 volunteers are needed to help staff the festival in beverage, information, children, survey, raffle and merchandise booths. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one four to five hour shift. Our Thank You for volunteering is a Volunteers only, limited edition T-Shirt and complimentary food and beverage tickets. Click here to get involved.
TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Festival!) Kickoff Party
Annual Fundraiser for French Quarter Festival
New Location! House of Blues
225 Decatur Street
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Featuring Rockin Dopsie in the Music Hall and Little Freddie King in the VooDoo Garden
Special performance by the NOLA Jitterbugs
$55 through April 1st ($65 after April 1)
Little Freddie King has been playing the blues in New Orleans for over 50 years. Little Freddie King (born Fread E. Martin) was born in 1940 in McComb, Mississippi. His style was so often compared to his mentor, blues legend Freddie King, that he earned the nickname “Little Freddie King”. The son of a blues-man, the young King taught himself to play guitar. He moved to New Orleans at the age of 14 where developed his own style of “gut-bucket” blues in juke joints. During the 1950’s he played with the likes of Polka Dot Slim, Guitar Grady, Guitar Ray, Snooks Eaglin, Billy Tate, Rev.Charles Jacobs, Harmonica Williams, Boogie Bill Webb and Eddie Lang. He recorded the 1969 electric blues album, Harmonica Williams and Little Freddie King, in New Orleans. He toured Europe with Bo Diddley, Texas Alexander and John Lee Hooker in 1976. King’s most recent album, Gotta Walk With Da King was released in 2010 to high praise. King was inducted to the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in October, 2010.
Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and The Zydeco Twisters are considered Zydeco’s royal family. The legendary Rockin’ Dopsie, Sr., (Alton Rubin), was known around the world as the “crown prince of Zydeco”. He died in 1993, performing the classic Creole accordion until his death. His sons vowed to keep the memory of their father alive by continuing the music tradition they grew up watching their father perform. Wash-board player, David Rubin, a.k.a. Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. fronts the band that includes brothers Tiger, (Alton Rubin, Jr.), on drums and Anthony on button accordion. Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. is well known for his explosive dance moves and charismatic stage presence. The band has performed for President Bill Clinton, shared the stage with Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and Jimmy Buffet. Dopsie and his brothers performed with Britney Spears and Mystikal on MTV’s two-hour Mardi Gras special in 2000 as well as recording with Paul Simon, Cindy Lauper and Bob Dylan. Rockin’ Dopsie and The Zydeco Twisters have brought their unique style of Zydeco rhythms across the country and all over the world.
Celebrating New Orleans Culture and Heritage since 1984!
