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LUNA Fete Presented by the Arts Council New Orleans

Series of vibrant art installations light up Lafayette Square, Julia St. & Oretha Castle Haley Blvd

November 25, 2015
Did you go to LUNA Fete last year? We went with our kids and it was really cool. It was this fantastic light show projected onto Gallier Hall with a Louisiana theme showing animated images of snakes and alligators climbing the columns, wrought iron patterns, flying egret, and lots more. Can't remember it all now, however, I do remember it was spectacular and I was glad we made a family outing of it.

So I'm psyched that LUNA Fete is returning and according to the press release that just camp across my desk, it's bigger and better this time! All the events are open to the public and almost all are free. After doing some research online, I'm most looking forward to OCUBO and Jen Lewin: The Pool

You might be asking, what the heck is LUNA Fete? LUNA stands for Light Up NOLA Arts and once again it will use iconic local architecture as a canvas for an impressive display of cutting-edge, outdoor light installations across the city. It's mission is to transform the community through arts. The Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fête 2015 merges contemporary light, motion graphics and video-mapping practices in a series of vibrant installations in Lafayette Square and along the historic Julia Street and Oretha Castle Haley corridors Nov. 29 – Dec. 5.

LUNA Fete 2015 features 1 international artist, 2 national artists, and 20+ local artists along with two community workshops, a series of live arts performances, and two weekend after parties to light up Nola Arts throughout the week.

Arts Council New Orleans’ Luna Fête is partnering with Uber to offer attendees a FREE first ride! To redeem, download the Uber app at UBER.COM/APP and enter code LUNAFETE for $20 off your first ride.
 
MAIN EXHIBITIONS
 
OCUBO
Sunday, Nov. 29 – Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.; each performance runs 10-15 minutes and repeats every 1/2 hr
Ashé Power House Theatre, 1847 Polymnia Street
Free and open to the public - family friendly 

OCUBO’s New Orleans installation was developed in conjunction with local children, supporting LUNA Fête’s ongoing objective to create an education initiative that engages youth. The projection will unfold as a theatrical play, with children from Ashé’s KUUMBA Institute and St. Martin’s Academy playing essential roles in the film, not only as actors, but also as creators of the graphic material serving as the foundation of the animation, which accompanies work by local artist Terrance Osborne and animations produced by OCUBO’s multimedia team in Portugal.
 
Jen Lewin: The Pool
Sunday, Nov. 29 – Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.;
Lafayette Square
Free and open to the public - family friendly    

The Pool is an environment of giant, concentric circles created from interactive circular pads that create a world where play and collaborative movement create swirling effects of light and color. As multiple users play in The Pool, their interactions become mesmerizing patterns of shifting and fading colors.

On Friday, Dec. 4, Yelp New Orleans will be hosting a Get Glowing Booth in Lafayette Square with couches for chillin', a prize wheel for spinnin', and a station to charge up mobile devices to capture all that is LUNA Fête. Yelp is a website and mobile app that connects people with great local businesses.
 
Miwa Matreyek: Myth and Infrastructure and This World Made Itself
Friday, Dec. 4 & Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.; the performance is 50 minutes long
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, 900 Camp St.
$10 general admission tickets available at www.cacno.org

These are live performance pieces in which the artist's shadow is constantly present as the world around her shifts and transforms. She becomes an integral part of fantastical animation worlds as she traverses oceanscapes, cityscapes, and domestic spaces to conjure dreamlike scenes with light and shadow.
 
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ Arts Market New Orleans
Saturday, Nov. 28 – Sunday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Palmer Park
Free and open to the public

Featuring more than 150 regional fine arts vendors, a children’s craft tent and activities, food and beverage vendors and live music from local musicians.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Tech Talk – Please Touch the Art
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 4:30 p.m.
Zeitgeist, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Free and open to the public

The Pool’s Jen Lewin shares her insights and experience on the power of interactive art.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ Community Arts Awards
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 4 to 7 p.m.
Civic Theatre, 510 O’Keefe Avenue
Tickets prices begin at $75 and are available at: www.artsneworleans.org/event/communityartsawards/

A celebratory and entertaining evening honoring outstanding contributions in the local arts community. Carlo Miguel Prieto will receive the Chairman’s Award.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Bazaar
Thursday, Dec. 3 – Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.
Lafayette Square
Free and open to the public

Enjoy shopping under the stars at this special nighttime pop-up market featuring more than 30 local, contemporary artists and artisanal retailers.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fete at New Orleans Arts District
Friday, Dec. 4 & Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.
300 – 600 blocks of Julia Street
Free and open to the public

Local light artists exhibit along Julia Street, and select galleries will also be open. Enjoy an art walk on Saturday.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Tech Talk – Art & Place
Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m.
Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market, 1436 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Free and open to the public

A presentation by local artists on the impact of art on building a community.
 
Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fete After Party
Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Ashé’s Power House Theatre, 1847 Polymnia Street
Free and open to the public

Celebrate the LUNA Week finale with a special performance by Tank and the Bangas until midnight, followed by local DJs until 2 a.m.
 
Envisioned as an opportunity to both foster international economic commerce and increase arts awareness, the Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fête aims to grow the scope of worldwide partnerships in order to expand the festival’s footprint within New Orleans in the years leading up to the city’s historic tricentennial anniversary in 2018. As one of the few U.S. cities to offer an installation on this scale, the Arts Council aims to ultimately create a world-class, international destination event comparable to Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, with Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fête also sparks cross-sector collaboration between New Orleans’ dynamic creative industries and activates light-based solutions for improving civic life.

Arts Council New Orleans is a private, non-profit organization designated as the City’s official arts agency. As a multidisciplinary arts agency, the Arts Council transforms the community through arts in three conceptual areas: People– Community Engagement and the Creative Citizen, Place– Civic Design and the Urban Aesthetic, and Artists– Artistic Excellence and Creative Services. Each area works to advance the Arts Council’s overall mission to nurture creativity and enrich lives through inspiration, connection, transformation, and investment in the New Orleans arts and cultural community. For more information on Youth Solutions, the Arts Council New Orleans, or to join as a member of the organization call: (504) 523-1465 or โ€จvisit: www.artsneworleans.org