New Orleans conjures up images of music, restaurants, and nightlife, but it is also the home of something else on a world-class level – art.
No matter what type of art you gravitate to, New Orleans has it. In fact, strolling through the city’s hundreds of art galleries, shops, and museums is a perfect way to spend free time while attending Groundwater Week 2025.
A great place to start is the New Orleans Museum of Art, which is the city’s oldest fine arts institution and the home to more than 40,000 works.
An entire afternoon can be spent in the area as right beside the museum is the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, consisting of 11 landscaped acres featuring 70 priceless sculptures. Walking paths take you through hundreds of trees and shrubs and by a lagoon.
Other not-to-be-missed museums are the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane.
Wonderful art, though, is not just in museums. Part of the fun of New Orleans is walking its streets and browsing through the galleries that have works for all styles, and most importantly, at all price points.
Royal Street and Chartres Street in the French Quarter, Julia Street in the Warehouse Arts District, and Magazine Street, which goes from the Central Business District to Uptown, are filled with countless art stops.
New Orleans GlassWorks & Printmaking Studio is paradise for fans of glass art. Along with a shop featuring the works of local and international artists, it offers the opportunity to design and make your own glass sculptures.
Other great visits are Rodrigue Studio, which features the work of George Rodrigue, best known for his Blue Dog paintings, Ariodante Contemporary Crafts, and Antieau Gallery, which features incredible fiber art.
Groundwater Week 2025 takes place in New Orleans December 9-11 and is co-locating with the Irrigation Association. Register today at GroundwaterWeek.com, and when you’re there, make time for the arts.