Where to Find Street Art & Murals in New Orleans
Vibrant street art and larger-than-life murals have popped up in major cities around the world in recent years. In places like Los Angeles, visitors can even take Instagram photo tours that feature the city’s best public art displays. In a city as creative and bold as New Orleans, it comes as no surprise that murals, sculptures, and art installations are as commonplace and photo-worthy as the city’s spectacular architecture – but you won’t find them in the historic French Quarter.
New Orleans’ public art movement will take you to the colorful Bywater neighborhood, the musical community of Tremé, and the bustling Central Business District. Whether you’re a street art aficionado or a visitor trying to snag your next Instagram post, you can spend hours wandering New Orleans in search of the best street art, graffiti art, and murals. Here are a few of our favorite spots to visit.
Studio BE Light Mural
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Studio BE in the Bywater neighborhood is a 35,000-square-foot exhibition space with various works from New Orleans filmmaker and artist BMike. Depicting the stories of figures from local heroes to everyday NOLA residents, the warehouse features several impressive murals on its outer walls, as well as many more works inside. One of the most photographed murals is that of a young African American girl on a bright yellow background with a poem by New Orleans poet Cleo Wade to the left. Be sure to walk around the entire building to check out all the other pieces.
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
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New Orleans street art isn’t all about murals – there’s an entire garden dedicated to sculptures in City Park. Part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, the sculpture garden is free to the public and includes close to 100 sculptures spread over 11 acres. It’s a beautiful place to go for a walk, full of pines, live oaks, magnolias, and two lagoons.
What Brings You Joy?
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The Portland, Oregon, muralist Gary Hirsch collaborated with students to create this mural on the corner of Louisa St. and Dauphine St. in the Bywater neighborhood. In the words of the artist for the NOLA Mural Project, “if you just take the time to notice more in your life, including what’s around you on the streets, you can be rewarded with amazing joy, and that’s what I think murals can do.” This mural poses the question, in big capital letters, “what brings you joy?” The pastel colors and whimsical characters are a delight to behold, and even more fun to pose with for pictures.
Banksy Pieces
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The world-renowned graffiti artist Banksy made his mark in New Orleans in 2008 with a dozen or so pieces around the city. Since then, many have been vandalized or covered up, but a few remain and are definitely worth checking out, like The Gray Ghost. Located on the corner of Clio St. and Carondelet St., this ethereal graffiti piece pops against a bubblegum pink background.
You can find another Banksy work, The Umbrella Girl, on the corner of North Rampart and Kerlerec St.
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Allen Toussaint Mural
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New Orleans is the birthplace of some of the most iconic R&B performers, like Allen Toussaint. Toussaint composed songs for Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, and other talented vocalists. Some of his hits include “I like It Like That” and “Here Come The Girls.” After such an influential career, it’s no surprise that the city of New Orleans wanted to pay tribute to Toussaint with a beautiful mural in the Tremé neighborhood. Painted by New York artist Brendan Palmer-Angell in 2018, the work is part of the NOLA Mural Project. You might catch a glimpse of this mural and others on a Tremé walking tour.
I’m Here for You
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This Claude St. Art District mural will take your breath away. The Louisiana-born artist Craig Cundiff depicted two women sharing a deep connection in vivid purples and blues. The image of the two New Orleanians featured – Nikki (left) and Bee (right) – represents comfort, friendship, and New Orleans hospitality. Cundiff was inspired to paint the mural in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when he moved back to help clean up the city. The two women introduced him to Buddhism and provided a solid support system during a difficult time.
Lil Wayne Mural
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Did you know that famous rapper Lil Wayne was born in New Orleans? Growing up in the Hollygrove neighborhood, the musical superstar wrote his first rap song at age 8! Muralist Courtney Buckley painted the likeness of Lil Wayne at 8401 Olive Street in 2017. It was then featured in a 2018 Drake music video for the song “In My Feelings,” which made the mural an even more popular spot to visit. If you’re a Lil Wayne fan, you can’t miss a chance to see this mural in person.
Gasa Gasa
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Painted on the outer wall of the Freret Street music club Gasa Gasa, this black and blue New Orleans masterpiece was painted by French graffiti artist Mateo Lepeintre in 2013. In fact, it was one of the first street art pieces to be commissioned in the city. It features four male singers with mouths wide open in song, and it’s said to represent a cry for help. Once you’ve had your fill of the mural, head inside for live music and daily happy hours.
This list of New Orleans street art just scratches the surface of the city’s public art scene. There are so many more murals and sculptures to see around NOLA’s various neighborhoods depicting famous musicians, African American icons, and colorful animals and insects. You might even spot some street art on a city walking tour! Browsing #neworleansmurals on Instagram is another great way to get some inspiration and create your own street art tour. And if you’re really committed to tracking down all the best murals in New Orleans, take a look at this map made by the NOLA Mural Project. Happy hunting!