Home - Krewe du Jazz

Pianist Ellis Marsalis was a New Orleans legend. His 1963 album Monkey Puzzle, released on the Nola-based AFO Records, has had a lasting impact, as has his work as a teacher at the University of New Orleans and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He is also, of course, the patriarch of one of jazz’s great families. His sons include the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the drummer Jason Marsalis, and the trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. Read more about Ellis Marsalis here.

What city did you grow up in? How did you make it to New Orleans?
I was born and raised here, but I lived in SC from 2003-2006 and got so home sick that I had to come back.

Whats does Mardi Gras mean to you?
Mardi Gras reminds me of my grandma! We called her "Mamagran". She was a diehard parade goer and collected doubloons.

What inspired you to become an artist?
I've always loved art growing up and took art in High school (Ursuline Academy, NOLA) but haven't done much up until a few years ago when I rediscovered my passion for it. I had moved into my old family home (3rd generation) and started painting on canvas to decorate my walls. I found painting very therapeutic and fell in love with it all over again.

Did you learn anything worth while working on this project?
How a pandemic can bring a community together. There's no place like New Orleans, which we already knew.

Did any of the musician's work/music affect the composition of your painting? What kind of feelings came up during the process?
We love to listen to jazz, especially live, but also when we're sitting out on our back patio.
M youngest son, Paul (20), plays the flute and I'd sometimes imagine the places he may go. He took band in his first 2yrs of HS and he had just gotten his very own flute for Christmas.
My oldest son, Ryan (22), plays around with acoustics on his guitar and I think he's very talented, especially when he makes up lyrics as he goes. He's not a fan of performing in front of people but I wish he would.

What was the most fun part of this project?
The combination/collaboration of different artists with different styles to represent the tribute to the jazz musicians and creating these unique pieces.
It was also very exciting for us to be chosen as one of the artists to participate.

How do you know when your work is complete? (when to stop painting)
That's a hard one for me sometimes, but I usually have to stop and sit back from a distance and just look at it and not touch it. If by the next day I see some things that I think it needs, I'll add it then. Then I'll sit back to admire it again and that's when I decide it's complete. (Sometimes I'll send pictures of it to my parents & brother for their thoughts, and of course they always love it, before deciding I'm done.)

What is your dream gig?
Our dream is to have our business successful with our own studio so we can both retire from our current day jobs and just focus on DVus fulltime.
I am a Registered Nurse, I not only want DVus to be successful, but I dream of it being a legacy and passed down to our children to run. (I have 2 sons 20&22 and Jared has a daughter 12 & son 8)

For more information visit DVus website here.

What city did you grow up in? How did you make it to New Orleans?
I grew up near the Candadian border of New York State, in the small city of Plattsburgh. My partner had lived in New Orleans before attending grad school in NY, where we met, and I moved back down with her here.

What inspired you to become an artist?
I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil, but the constant encouragement and support of my parents really kept me on it ever since.

What does Mardi Gras mean to you?
For me, Mardi Gras is a celebration of joy and life, a recognition of love and loss, and a preparation for spiritual journeys. Each year, I go to St. Anne's parade, which is a beautiful walking parade full of the amazing color and joy of home made costumes, music, and revelry. But it ends at the riverside, where people bring the ashes of those they've lost during the year to release them into the Mississippi. It's an indescribable moment of tears and song and color, a combination of mourning and celebration.

Did you learn anything worth while working on this project?
It really hit me seeing all the names of those who've passed on the wall, just from this one community. I'm so grateful to be a part of celebrating them, in a way that is so New Orleans.

Did any of the musician's work/music affect the composition of your painting? What kind of feelings came up during the process?
When I was starting on Ellis' portrait, I was feeling the time crunch (it ended up being around 100 hours of work in one week.) I started listening to his music, and it just calmed me down so much, brought me into enjoying the work again. His music and his presence in the images just really gives me a sense of calm delight in creation.

What was the most fun part of this project?
Seeing the pieces up on the house, and watching people slow down in their cars to enjoy it, to stop and take photos. Though I really enjoyed the painting marathon, working with these colors, and being challenged.

How do you know when your work is complete? (when to stop painting)
There's a sense that's hard to describe, but it's clear when something has what it needs. Also in this case, I only had so much time to work!

What is your dream gig?
I would love to create large murals in public spots like NYC and LA. I want to portray imagery that invites people to slow down in the midst of the bustle, even for a second, and remember our shared humanity, and the beauty of everyday moments we often take for granted.

For more info visit Brendon's website here.

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