CRAFTS & MARKETPLACES

Beginning in the early 1970s with a handful of artisans — from self-taught painter and street preacher Sister Gertrude Morgan, to acclaimed jewelry designer Mignon Faget to Louisiana Coushatta basket weavers — the Festival's Crafts now include the diverse works of hundreds of regionally and nationally acclaimed artists in multiple distinct event venues.

Filled with music, art, and energy, the CONGO SQUARE AFRICAN MARKETPLACE is alive with the culture and spirit which helped create the jazz and heritage for which New Orleans is known. You will find an array of local, national, and international artisans exhibiting ancient crafting techniques, as well as modern variations and adaptations of those techniques. Enjoy the exchange of wares, customs, and ideas that embodies a true marketplace experience as you encounter people and art from throughout the African Diaspora.

CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS, set among blues, jazz and gospel music tents in Heritage Square, is a nationally recognized showcase of alluring handcrafted clothing, beautiful leather goods and musical instruments, along with a brilliant array of paintings, photographs, sculptures and irresistible jewelry. Observe ongoing skilled demonstrations of metal work, painting and fiber work, as well as pottery turning – it's certain to please your creative inquiries.

In LOUISIANA MARKETPLACE, the state's finest traditional and contemporary artists display and sell hand-colored photographs, pine needle baskets, whimsical jewelry, and other creations that evoke the state's unique cultural landscape.