Exclusive: Joyful new public art headed to Metairie
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Fnnch is working on a series of second-line honey bears that will be permanent installed in Metairie. Photos: Courtesy of Orleans Gallery
Metairie is getting another 12-foot-tall honey bear sculpture on Veterans Memorial Boulevard.
Why it matters: The donated public art is meant to bring joy to residents and acknowledge the musical contributions of the region.
The big picture: The bandleader bear is scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks in the neutral ground on Vets near Melody Drive, Cayman Clevenger, the owner of Orleans Gallery, tells Axios.
- It's part of a second-line bear sculpture series. The first one — a honey bear playing a sousaphone — was installed earlier this year.
- The goal is to add another bear or two, Clevenger says.
Zoom in: The anonymous artist fnnch created the sculptures as an extension of his honey bear art.
- "Fnnch calls the honey bear just a symbol of joy, and I think that's a really good way of putting it, because it's hard to look at a honey bear and be upset," Clevenger says.
- Fnnch is based in San Francisco but has ties to Louisiana, Clevenger says.
- Local sculptor Scott Hebert fabricated the sculptures and fnnch painted them. Henry and Pat Shane covered the costs.
Meanwhile, New Orleans unveiled five new pieces of public art this week in City Hall.
- The pieces in "Voices of the People" represent each of the five City Council districts. Meet the artists.
- It's the first time Arts New Orleans has worked with the city to commission pieces for a specific interior location, says Jordan Koppens, the marketing director for the organization.
- The project cost $135,000, Koppens says.
- The pieces are on display in City Council chambers during normal business hours.