Magnolia Muse from the collection of Arts New Orleans

Magnolia Muse, 2021

Illustration on dibond

32 x 22 in (81.28 x 55.88 cm)

Location: City Hall Floor 2, City Council, District D, 2W20 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 (Google map)

Magnolia Muse honors what an essential community has meant to New Orleans, specifically over the past year. It focuses on culture, healthcare, and social justice. The artwork centers the image of a traditionally adorned New Orleans woman, with the face to the left depicting a healthcare worker, while the face to the right looks onward to continuing the fight for social justice. My mother was the muse for this artwork as she has always been a carrier of New Orleans' culture, and continues to carry on the tradition of masking and parading during Carnival.

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About the artist

Nik Richard

Nik Richard is a visual artist and urban planner from New Orleans. Richard’s work highlights the vibrant culture of New Orleans and amplifies current urban and social issues with his colorful, surrealist art style. Richard works primarily as an illustrator, collaborating with many local and national agencies on editorial works, as well as a public artist with installations around New Orleans.

As a visual artist, Richard works in acrylic paint on canvas, pen and ink on paper, and digital illustrations, and is most recognized for his colorful and striking portraits. He was most recently a featured artist on Adult Swim for their New Orleans mural project, and was a 2021 Joan Mitchell Center artist-in-residence.

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About the artist

Nik Richard