Homage to the French Quarter is arguably the most well-known work by painter Noel Rockmore. It took Rockmore from 1968 to 1975 to complete, after which it was a longtime fixture at Johnny White’s Bar on Saint Peter Street in the Vieux Carré. At some point it was removed and replaced with a life-size photograph of the painting by Jack Beech, a New Orleans–based industrial and aerial photographer. The location of Homage after its residence at Johnny White’s is unknown, but in 2007 it was acquired by JoAnn Clevenger, proprietor of the beloved Uptown restaurant Upperline.

Artist Robert TannExplore New Orleans’s famed Jackson Square without ever leaving The Historic New Orleans Collection. Jackson Square, a sculpture by New Orleans artist and urban planner Robert Tannen (b. 1937), comprises representations of all the structures surrounding the square—the Pontalba buildings, Cabildo, Presbytère, and St. Louis Cathedral—as well as the riverfront levee and the square’s statue of Andrew Jackson.

New Orleans has long been identified—by locals, tourists, and historians alike—with its French heritage. A groundbreaking exhibition at The Historic New Orleans Collection restores balance to that assessment. During four decades under Spanish rule (1762–1803), the city experienced natural disaster, diplomatic tensions, and demographic transformation. Despite numerous challenges, Spanish New Orleans morphed from a poorly managed outpost on the edge of an empire to a highly urbanized colonial capital—one enriched by the racial and cultural diversity for which it is celebrated today.

THNOC Chess Club blends the game of chess with creative activities and historical research. Members learn about the rich history of chess in New Orleans from the 19th century to the present day. For questions about the club, contact THNOC Education Specialist Kendric Perkins.

Who can join?

Anyone with basic knowledge of the rules of chess and chess notation can join the club. This is a club for all ages!

Who leads the club?

THNOC Chess Club is youth-led. Members in the 6th–12th grades will be given the opportunity to plan THNOC’s annual Community Chess Day, where we host a community chess tournament and showcase club members’ chess-related creative projects.

When and where does the club meet?

For the 2024 Chess Club, youth members interested in leading the club will meet on site at The Collection bi-monthly.

• Saturday, March 2 1 p.m.–3 p.m. in our Education Classroom at 610 Toulouse Street
• Saturday, May 11 1 p.m.–3 p.m. in our Education Classroom at 610 Toulouse Street
• Saturday, July 13 1 p.m.–3 p.m. in our Education Classroom at 610 Toulouse Street
• Saturday, September 7 1 p.m.–3 p.m. in our Education Classroom at 610 Toulouse Street

Chess Club is free to attend and is for all ages! RSVP to attend upcoming meetings below.

REGISTER

Chess Fest

The Chess Fest is an event organized by THNOC Chess Club. Click here for more information.

Check out past projects by club members!

The exhibition Making Mardi Gras, on view now, celebrates the craftspeople and artists who help create this magical time of year. Photographers, too, play an important part in documenting the otherwise ephemeral beauty of a float, a dance routine, or a Black Masking Indian’s suit. Here are a few photographs from the exhibition that explore the many traditions of Mardi Gras and the creative vibrancy and artful techniques that make it “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.”  

Seventy-five years ago this year, Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire premiered on Broadway. The first performance received a seven-minute standing ovation, and the play has virtually never disappeared from the stage since. Williams's themes of societal upheaval, dislocation, and brutality versus gentility proved universal, as productions spread around the world, to nearly every continent.