Making Mardi Gras
Online
About
Months before the scent of fresh king cake, the glow of flambeaux, and the driving beat of marching bands fill New Orleans, artists, makers, and culture bearers across the city are planning, designing, and building. Much more than just a celebration, Carnival and its rich, diverse, and complicated history invite the world to our streets. Making Mardi Gras celebrates the makers who, every year, bring us “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.”
Schedule
Due to health concerns, the Williams Research Center 2022 Symposium will be presented as a virtual event. Anyone who paid registration fees for the original experience has received an email with information on refunds. As a virtual program, the 2022 WRC Symposium will be free, with content released weekly every Tuesday, beginning February 8, 2022. The schedule of talks is available below.
(Un)Making Mardi Gras: Alternative Responses to Carnival's First Century in New Orleans
Dr. Rien Fertel, and Lydia Blackmore
Historian Dr. Rien Fertel will converse with Lydia Blackmore, curator of the Making Mardi Gras exhibition, about the first 101 years of Carnival organizations in New Orleans, from the founding of the Mistick Krewe of Comus in 1857 to the Krewe of Yuga a century later. Dr. Fertel and Blackmore will also discuss marginalized groups—including Black masking Indians, flambeaux carriers, and gay Carnival revelers—that have democratized Mardi Gras.
Made by Hand: The History and Artistry of Mardi Gras
Dr. Stephen Hales, and Caroline Thomas
The art of Carnival embraces many disciplines and draws upon the long and rich history of this New Orleans celebration. Dr. Stephen Hales, historian and archivist for the Rex Organization, describes their early parades and takes us inside the Rex den for a look behind the scenes as the rolling tableaux of the Rex parade are constructed.
Caroline Thomas, float designer for Royal Studios, explains the process of decorating the floats, from design all the way to the exquisite final products. Thomas also details some of the traditional materials and techniques she uses that make New Orleans Mardi Gras a unique regional art form.
Curator Talk: Costumes of the Making Mardi Gras Exhibition
Lydia Blackmore
This program has been postponed and will be presented as an in-person event in the exhibition hall when conditions allow. Please register for the symposium at the link above and watch your email for an announcement of the new date and time.
Extended viewing hours for Making Mardi Gras (in-person)
6:30-8:30 p.m. | 520 Royal Street
Reservations required. Admission is free. Food and drink will be available if conditions permit.
Making the Masked Balls of Mardi Gras
Frank Perez, Errol Laborde, and Tracy Thibodaux
moderated by Arthur Hardy
Arthur Hardy leads a panel discussion on the world of Mardi Gras balls. Historians Errol Laborde and Frank Perez, and Tracey Thibodaux, president of the Original Illinois Club, discuss the origins, history, and traditions of the more exclusive Carnival societies.
Bonus Content! The Children of Yuga: A Brief History of the Birth of Gay Carnival
Historian Frank Perez takes us beyond gay balls with a detailed history of gay Carnival in New Orleans. From Marc-Antoine Caillot’s account of dressing in drag on Lundi Gras in 1729 to today’s elaborate costumes at the Bourbon Street Awards, Perez offers little-known information on the evolution of gay Carnival in New Orleans.
Making Marching Bands: How Music Education Creates the Heartbeat of Mardi Gras
Michele Brierre, Dr. Daryl Dickerson, Adonis Rose, and Dr. Michael Torregano
Michele Brierre leads a panel discussion on music education in Orleans Parish. Brierre, founding director of the Ellis Marsalis Center, joins Dr. Michael Torregano and Dr. Daryl Dickerson, music educators and former band directors, and Adonis Rose, director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, for this important session. The panel’s discussion will extend beyond the crowd-pleasing marching performances in Mardi Gras parades and delve into the need for a more comprehensive curriculum for music education in New Orleans.
In Conversation with Big Chiefs: Traditions and Music of Mardi Gras Indians
Romeo Bougere, Jermaine Cooper, Clarence Dalcour, and Victor Harris
moderated by Bruce Sunpie Barnes
featuring Big Chiefs performing Mardi Gras Indian music and an appearance by the 79rs Gang
In a rare gathering, Mardi Gras Indian chiefs tell the story of masking traditions through their lived experience. The conversation, moderated by Bruce Sunpie Barnes, addresses the origins of Black masking traditions and the history of each of the chiefs’ tribes, the year-round community responsibilities of a chief, and the future of the Mardi Gras Indians. Next, the program dives into Mardi Gras Indian music, exploring how each gang performs traditional chants. The presentation culminates in a performance by the 79rs Gang, a group founded by two young chiefs from opposing gangs who came to together and updated Mardi Gras Indian songs with New Orleans funk and hip hop.
Making Mardi Gras for All
Lydia Blackmore and Dr. Rien Fertel
From super krewes to walking clubs, there’s an opportunity for everyone to participate in modern Mardi Gras. Lydia Blackmore, curator of the Making Mardi Gras exhibition, talks with historian Dr. Rien Fertel about the steps towards the democratization of Mardi Gras during the second century of New Orleans Carnival.
Support
This event is made possible with generous support from our sponsors.
Explore the History Symposium
Since its debut in 1996, HNOC’s History Symposium has become one of Louisiana’s leading public history events. Every year we bring together scholars, experts, and community members to unpack a different topic from our region’s ever-changing narrative.
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The Breadth of Carnival Artistry in Nine Photographs
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Looking at the Obscure—and Sometimes Disturbing—Lore from the “Golden Age of Carnival”
Exploring the traditions of the past often reveals the deeper values and influences of the society that created them.
Carnival Canceled? When the Good Times Didn’t Roll
As New Orleans braces for a vastly downsized Carnival because of the pandemic, HNOC looks back at 14 times the city canceled parades and balls—as well as the celebrations that went on despite the shutdown.
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