About the Exhibition

Born in Acadiana on July 22, 1921, John Clemmer was a generously spirited luminary of the New Orleans art scene for more than seven decades, producing a body of modernist art while inspiring dozens of his fellow artists. He studied in the French Quarter at the Arts and Crafts Club’s School of Art and was the only artist to have been a student, teacher, and director of the Club and its school. Clemmer later taught at Tulane University’s School of Architecture and then chaired the Newcomb Art Department.  

Showing Love: Parades, Mutual Aid, and the Importance of Place (free event)

Second Line Sustenance; photograph by Eric Waters; courtesy of the artist 

For more than 150 years, African American benevolent associations and social aid and pleasure clubs have supported their members and the broader community by organizing jazz funerals and second line parades.

About the Exhibition

Decorative arts objects—furniture, home furnishings, and the tools of daily life—carry the stories of the people who made and used them. The exhibition Pieces of History showcases the Decorative Arts of the Gulf South (DAGS) project’s efforts to preserve and share these stories. 

Related Programming



 

Caillot Celebrates the Second Line

Jolly Bunch Social and Pleasure Club; September 1954; photograph by John Bernard; The John Bernard Photographic Archive at THNOC, 1999.41.1.2.24

The Caillot Circle—THNOC's membership level for young professionals ages 21–45—will join a lively virtual event celebrating our new exhibition

Powerhouses of Knowledge: Celebrating the Legacies of Ronald W. Lewis and Sylvester Francis

Ronald W. lewis, left and Sylvester Francis, right.

Left: Ronald W. Lewis; photo by Judy Cooper; courtesy of the artist
Right: Sylvester Francis; photo by Jeffrey David Ehrenreich, courtesy of the Neighborhood Story Project

Join The Historic New Orleans Collection as we celebrate the lives and legacies of two cultural icons. Sylvester Francis was a photographer, videographer, author, historian, and founder of the Backstreet Cultural Museum. Ronald W.