White Linens and Dirty Laundry
It’s hot out there, and staying cool by wearing white is the thing to do during the summer. On Aug. 2, the annual Whitney White Linen Night, presented by the New Orleans Arts District, will welcome more than 16,000 people to some of the city’s finest galleries throughout Julia Street and the Warehouse Arts District.
Admission is free, cocktails will be flowing and local restaurants will be setting up booths in the area as well.
The official post-party will be held at the Contemporary Arts Center from 9 p.m. until midnight, and will feature live entertainment by John Mooney & Friends with Sunpie Barnes. (Rain date is Aug. 9.)
Also scheduled this month is Dirty Linen Night, a playful jab at White Linen Night’s recommended polished attire. On Aug. 9, Dirty Linen Night invites guests into galleries and art-filled establishments in the French Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods. Feel free to wear your disheveled, wine-stained clothing from the week before; it will probably become dirtier as the night gets later!
Information, 528-3805, www.cacno.org, www.dirtylinennight.org.
Legacy of Louis
Who says summer’s too quiet around here? The hum of our collective air conditioners will be overpowered by the sounds of jazz at the Eighth Annual Satchmo Summerfest, honoring the late, great Louis Armstrong. Four stages, located within the Old U.S. Mint, including the Traditional Jazz Stage, Contemporary Jazz Stage, Brass Band Stage and a Children’s Stage will be buzzing with activity and music July 31-August 3. Other events will include a Red Bean Alley with local cuisine, a second-line parade, a Jazz Mass and a luncheon. Featured bands will include Soul Rebels, Jeremy Davenport, Dr. Michael White, Rebirth Brass Band, Tremé Brass band and so many more who have been inspired by the legacy of Louis.
Information, 522-5730, www.fqfi.org.
Black and Gold Shine This Summer
After a long, hot summer of training, the New Orleans Saints return to the Superdome with some sizzling new talent, especially on the defensive side.
Fans get a chance to preview the team this month and welcome some new players, including first round draft pick Sedrick Ellis (defensive tackle) and Jonathan Vilma (middle linebacker) to the land of “Who dats!” Newcomer defensive end Bobby McCray is also expected to make a splash. [Ed. Note: See Persona, p. 24]
There’s optimism and promise of a successful upcoming season: Vilma was a Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl player, and some of our veteran favorites – Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and Drew Brees – should be back in full force.
Aug. 16 is the date of the first preseason game against the Houston Texans and on Aug. 29, the Saints will take on the Miami Dolphins.
Information, 731-1700, www.neworleanssaints.com.
If it Ain’t Baroque …
The baroque, intriguing and at times comical characters, depicted by artist Fernando Botero, appear in over 100 works of art at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Sculptures, paintings and drawings by Botero, a native of Colombia, are generously on loan until Sept. 21. Many of the creations are being exhibited in public for the first time and are deeply personal to the artist. The exhibition, titled “The Baroque World of Fernando Botero,” is divided into eight sections that correspond to various eras and periods in his life. Botero touches on themes of religion, childhood, family, politics, nature and more; themes that are universal to life not just in Latin America but all over the world.
Information, 658-4100, www.noma.org.
Pilots’ Association Celebrates 100 Years
The Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary by presenting a special exhibit in the lobby of the World Trade Center Aug. 3-15. Honoring the industry and highlighting the unique contributions of the Crescent River Port Pilots, the exhibit will also give a glimpse into the complex challenges in navigating the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Port Town. Photographs, paraphernalia and pilot oral histories will all be included in the exhibit.
Information, 218-8531.
