Link to a great picture on nola.com this week of my pal Tracy Thomson standing in her studio. Her gorgeous hats, potholders, bags (and more) are available daily at Dutch Alley Cooperative, a local artist cooperative found in the French Quarter (Dumaine at the river). The rumor is that if you check in with her early enough in the year, you might just be able to get on her list to purchase a unique Mardi Gras costume designed and hand sewn by Tracy herself. Tracy has also vended at JazzFest in the Contemporary Crafts area for the last 20 years and was one of my premier Festivus vendors for the five years that we ran that market in the mid 2000s.
Category Archives: French Market
Garbage in, garbage out: ‘Grand vision’ for French Market junks tradition | The Lens
Local writer CW Cannon defends the vitality of the current vendor base and questions the new French Market director’s understanding of tradition and desired products.
Panic In The Streets on July 12
DOUBLE FEATURE of both Panic in the Streets and Cool Hand Luke Friday, July 12, outdoors on the grounds of the U.S. Mint.
We will start with Panic in the Streets at 8:00 p.m., followed by a ten-minute intermission, and then Cool Hand Luke will start around 9:45 p.m.)
Admission is $5 for NOFS members, members of the Louisiana Museum Foundation, and members of the Friends of the Cabildo. General admission tickets are $7. (The price will be the same whether you see one film or both.)
RESCHEDULED: Outdoor Screening of COOL HAND LUKE at the Old U.S. Mint // New Orleans Film Society
The screening of Cool Hand Luke that was scheduled for this weekend will be rescheduled for later this summer.
Outdoor Screening of COOL HAND LUKE at the Old U.S. Mint // New Orleans Film Society.
Notes from meeting with city about Jackson Square issues
Jackson Square meeting
Scott Hutcheson, Asante Salaam, and city attorney had a second meeting with folks interested in maintaining Jackson Square as a dynamic public space.
Artist, musician and psychic spokespeople were in attendance and spoke convincingly about their wish for a viable community space in Jackson Square. Here are my notes from the meeting: in the notes below, the statements were made by the artists, musicians and readers that attended the meeting. SH is Scott Hutcheson, Mayor’s Advisor on Cultural Economy and is the city staff person who responded during meeting, and his responses are in italics. Overall, it was a very amiable meeting.
SH has talked to Farmers Market Corporation (FMC)
FMC security may start patrolling the Square
City can do in-depth training with FMC security personnel
FMC has 11 security personnel, 3 full-time, the rest part-time
Psychic org: fine with that, but no one will still have permit oversight.
Recently, readers leaving set-ups 24 hours a day.
Vendors illegally chalking their spaces to hold, including artists.
Out of control artists ignoring rules and entreaties from peers to follow rules; video on YouTube of artist on Square passed out with needle in arm.
Can licenses be in jeopardy when they ticket?
NOPD has said in past that they will not enforce the rules, they have just woken people up and told them to stay awake.
SH said they ticketed Thursday before FQF
Ticket should go to revenue dept, rather than municipal court to relate the infractions back to license.
All artists should have to show licenses. Some scofflaws leave a homeless person with their stuff so it is “attended”.
Guidelines before Katrina were clear and enforceable, need to go back to that.
Pre-Katrina: Set up more than an hour was unattended, the setup would be moved by NOPD or other readers or artists.
SH: not sure it’s legal to do that, have to be clear about codified law versus standards of conduct
Illegal activity is widespread and unenforced.
Calling emergency services is almost impossible as they want street addresses.
Extra space when big events for artists? State museum says yes, but FQF says no.
Want to talk to French Market about using more space.
Dutch Alley, used to be an open spot, street entertainers still get run off.
SH: FMC asks street performers only to “register”, although it says “permit” on it.
SH: No such thing as a street performer permit in the city.
dba licenses, can anything be done? (No says city attorney)
Enforce before 6 pm on St. Peter and St. Ann that readers cannot hold spaces.
FMC security already has oversight over Jackson Square: can manage city owned property.
FMC demanded FMC permit for Decatur reader
Illegal vending happens on Jackson Square and artists/readers are powerless to stop.
Vieux Carre church sets up table and does ceremonies illegally.
Segways in the square are problem.
Stanchions-have a hard time getting them unlocked in emergencies and locked to stop cars and trucks.
Slope of the entryways is problematic for older people, needs to be textured.
Loading zone tickets are given to musicians and artists even though they have been told they can use them to unload and load.
NOPD says artists and musicians can unload in the “curve” but only informally.
Barkers are working illegally, overwhelming honest vendors.
Street performers with amplifiers are a problem.
Television from museum plays constantly and loudly.
French Quarter block by block 
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