“Gumbo Botanica” is the first all-women and youth mural production in New Orleans. It is a significant initiative that highlights the talents and voices of women and youth artists in the community.
Covering three walls totaling nearly 5000 square feet, the mural was a collaborative effort involving 6 mural mentors and 9 youth artists from the Youth Arts Movement. The artwork pays tribute to the healing herbs and culinary traditions that define New Orleans' unique culture. Honoring the creativity of the young women of New Orleans, our painted garden features beautiful portraits of young artists that worked on the mural.
The project not only beautifies the corner where it is located but also serves as a source of inspiration and pride for the community. The lead artists provided guidance and training to the youth artists through workshops on various aspects of mural creation, including digital illustration, mural design & planning, reference photography, traditional brush painting, color-mixing, aerosol paint, and job site professionalism. We've also trained 5 artists in polytab (mural cloth) installation techniques which is how we were able to incorporate watercolor art on the wall. Guest muralists visited and shared their public art experiences with our youth artists on the job site. Big thanks to Marcus Akinlana, Gabriel Flores, Kate Hanrahan, and Jade the Artist for blessing us with your knowledge! In recognition of the value of the youth artists’ contributions to the project, they were compensated for their time and efforts.
Youth Artists: A’Brelle Sotello, Alella Binalla, Anika Binalla, Deshawne Cornelius, Faith Johnson, Jada Brumfield, Lamaj Mathis, Mikale Gobernado, Rhiana Brumfield,
