We are thrilled to present our Activists of the Year on our December cover! Thanks to Linda and Tommy Westfeldt, Stephanie and Terrance Osborne and Roland and Mary von Kurnatowski! These incredible New Orleanians have made huge contributions in the fields of arts and education and beyond. I can’t wait for you to read their profiles and get inspired by the contributions that these generous men and women have made to our city! IberiaBank hosts a thank you party for our activists every year and we’re so grateful.
The holiday season is here, and with all the frenzy of the season I’m hoping that you’ll shop at all of our local stores instead of going online! I know this is difficult, but so many of our Magazine Street stores have had a difficult time with the construction on their street, and also on feeders like Jefferson and Louisiana avenues. I talked to Kevin Gillentine of Kevin Gillentine Gallery and he said that it’s so important to support local stores because you actually get to see what you’re purchasing. All the stores have specials and sales, and by going into a favorite store like Feet First, Art & Eyes, Ballin’s, Joseph, Swap, Crowe Jewelry or Perlis, you might see something that you can’t live without that you never would’ve discovered otherwise! Gillentine, who was President of the Magazine Street Merchants Association for three years and is now a Board Member, says that the organization tries to help everyone on the street – even if they aren’t members. They produce advertisements, create banners and host special events, such as “Merriment on Magazine Street,” which began the last week in November and lasts through December. Gulf Coast Bank is the presenting sponsor, and they’ll have a trolley with Santa Claus going up and down the street; Petcetera will have dog portraits with Santa; and there will be prizes for the best selfies taken in front of the stores on Magazine Street. Gillentine is hoping that more people will join the Magazine Street Association (for only $300 a year!) by visiting MagazineStreetAssociation.com to help promote the businesses that are the life blood of our community.
I want to thank every one of the designers who created designs for ‘Wine Dine & Design,” but especially Candice Gwinn, Owner of Trashy Diva. Not only did she design her area, but she has been with us supporting our wounded warriors from the beginning and was even a program sponsor in 2016! Thanks, Candice!
Have a safe holiday and keep your family and friends close to you. Why not write everyone a note and tell them how much they mean to you?
Happy Holidays!
Beverly Reese Church
Steve and Kathy Price are pictured enjoying a little slice of Daniels Heaven at NOCCA’s “Home for the Holidays.” “Home for the Holidays” is a night of spectacular art and music benefiting the Daniel Price Memorial Fund for Aspiring Artists, which honors the memory of NOCCA alumnus Daniel Price. In keeping with Daniel’s twin passions of art and music, the fund provides scholarships for outstanding visual arts and music students at NOCCA. Irma Thomas will play for the Patron Party.
This year’s event will be on Friday, December 22, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the House of Blues. Call 310-4999 for more information and to purchase tickets.
