Why I Love New Orleans

by Heather Graham

  As in modern Wiccan practices, Louisiana Voodoo or New Orleans Voodoo also looks to herbs and spells. Gris-gris bags can be created for protection and luck.

  Since Hollywood so managed to turn Voodoo into something creepy and to be feared, you can also buy many things in the local shops you might want to associate with something underground and perhaps a bit magical and dark. Yes, you can buy a chicken foot talisman. But, remember, there are people out there shopping who are buying votive candles just as Catholics buy votive candles.

  My point here, of course, is not to explain something that I have no real right to explain. Those who are interested can find a wealth of books to study.

  The most famous Voodoo queen of New Orleans was, as most of us have heard, a woman named Marie Laveau. (Remember, you can visit her grave at St. Louis number one, set down your pennies, turn three times, and ask her spirit for luck or favors, if you wish!) Most people believe that like any good priestess, therapist, or spiritual advisor, Marie knew how to listen and use what she learned when giving advice.

  Today, you can stop by Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, a shop where you’ll find handmade and one of a kind items, items associated with the practice of Voodoo, gris-gris bags and more.

  When you visit, please remember, they’re not really into helping you “hex” anyone. Nor would they help you get even with your ex-wife, put a curse on your husband, and go about practicing any kind of incantation to make your enemy’s jaw drop off.

  What you will find is a shop of wonderful things that are fascinating and interesting. When you make purchases here, you’ll have a special little piece of time and culture. Even if you’re not shopping, the place is atmospheric and fun; I’ve had many friends swear that they weren’t going to buy a thing—and then leave with a bag full of candles, jewelry, masks or maybe religious pieces. You can also purchase shirts and mugs, all kinds of souvenirs.

  Now, of course, you can buy spell kits. You’re more than welcome to cast spells—hopefully, good spells. Love spells, or spells to help you move forward in your job—maybe make peace with a troubling relative. There are fun little dolls, interesting potions, and more. No one says you can’t have a little fun!

  Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo can be found at 739 Bourbon Street. You can also visit Reverend Zombie’s House of Voodoo at 723 St. Peter Street, and/or Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans Cultural Center and Collection at 612 Dumaine Street. It’s interesting, and very good I think, for those who don’t practice Voodoo to learn about Voodoo; it’s always great when we understand and respect what others embrace. Hey, most of have beliefs that seem strange to those of other faiths! There are more little shops and shops that carry Voodoo paraphernalia while they concentrate in other directions.

  Of course, we’re talking New Orleans, so there is more that is different here, more that is seen as occult. I have friends who consider themselves practicing vampires. While I’ve seen travel shows about groups and cults that really drink blood, this isn’t what is practiced by my friends. They consider themselves to be “spiritual” vampires; they “drink” energy and life from the air and the earth.

  One of my personal favorite shops in the city is the Boutique du Vampyre. You’ll find this at 709 and 1/2 St. Ann. This shop is owned by a friend of mine, but trust me—that’s not why you want to come. You will love the unique merchandise. Beautiful, custom, locally made jewelry, candles, vampire hunter game boxes, custom fangs, perfumes, dolls—special dolls, as a matter of fact. You can get your “Vampire Worry Dolls” here. The shop has beautiful, fun, and amazing merchandise. I say—go!

  The city is, of course, filled with Voodoo shops and the unusual and I encourage you to step into all the doorways that intrigue you. Shopping is fun here because yes, while you can find the chain stores (nothing wrong with them) you can also find people who delight in what they do and sell, are experts in what they do and sell, and enjoy being as unique as possible.

  Two more I suggest that are fun—Hex, Old World Witchery—is at 1219 Decatur. Beautiful things! (Actually, there is an “original” in another great city, Salem, Mass.) And do you feel like a cup of tea along with a “reading?” Leaves, tarot, palm. Lovely store, great coffee and tea, and easy-going atmosphere. These will all be found at Bottom of the Cup Tea Room, 327 Chartres Street. It’s just about right across from the W on Chartres Street—after or before your cup of tea, check out their gorgeous courtyard; the hotel staff won’t mind at all!

  Day Nineteen - Blue Dog—Red Dog, Yellow Dog—and Art!

  Every so often a musician, an artist, a filmmaker, or writer creates a piece that just has a spark of something special, magical perhaps. Sometimes, those creators touch an age group, the angst in life, the feel of true romance, the pain of loss or war...or even a smile.

  It’s always hard to explain. And any art form is subjective. My cup of tea is your poison, or your raw onions are delicious to me.

  I happen to be in love with Blue Dog—and I’m certainly not alone. Blue Dog has become iconic in New Orleans.

  With good reason.

  Artist George Rodrique was born in New Iberia (where he also has a studio) in 1944. He studied in Louisiana and in Los Angeles, learning the nuts and bolts of drawing and painting. Since my artistic talent is somewhere between and nil and none, I don’t know a great deal about shade and shadow, brush strokes, or the many things art connoisseurs do know. But I know what I like—and I know that it makes me smile.

  My sister, Vickie, had a lot to do with introducing me to the Blue Dog. Vickie and her friends at Delta Airlines religiously attended Jazz Fest and she was the first to fall in love with the Blue Dog. She bought a print at the Rodrique Studio on Royal Street. There’s just something in the dog’s expression that’s wonderful.

  Rodrique made use of his home in his art; he depicted Cajun life and history. He’s well known for creating atmosphere and a certain kind of spell. He has created images that incorporate the past and the present with ghosts appearing in the landscape he knows so well.

  Blue Dog began as a ghost dog in a grayish blue color with red eyes. But Blue Dog was a ghost—or modeled after Rodrique’s Tiffany, a pet he had lost long before painting his first image.

  Now, you don’t have to go to the studio to see Blue Dog; Blue Dog is iconic. Paintings and prints featuring Blue Dog can be seen in restaurants and hotels and other venues throughout the city. But if you discover that you love Blue Dog and have to get a little closer, you’ll have to stop by the studio. It’s easy to do. You’ll now find it on Royal Street at number 730. You can also head to Lafayette, Louisiana, or Carmel, California.

  Blue Dog is featured in books and has been pictured with many famous people in the arts, sports, and politics. My one and only foray into buying real art was a small signed print for my sister, and since then, every trip I take means a stop by at the studio. Just as Twilight touched upon teen-aged angst and falling in love, just as the Mona Lisa follows others, and just as the song “Memories” reminds us all of what being young and filled with hope was like, Blue Dog touches something in us. Blue Dog can bring a smile, maybe remind us of a beloved pet long gone, or just brighten the day somehow.

  Now, of course, I’ve gone on and on about Blue Dog. All of Rodrique’s art is special, haunting, intriguing, and touched with something very real—even when reality is in the form of ghosts.

  I have never met George Rodrique—I’m willing to bet I’d really like the man! There’s just something about that dog... (Not to take a thing away from his other wonderful work!)

  Beyond Blue Dog and Rodrique, New Orleans remains a mecca for all kinds of art.

  The new and upcoming artists can easily be found on Jackson Square. You’ll find all forms—sketches, paintings, mixed media, caricature artists and more. You can find images that capture the magic of the city, the elegance, the age, the decay, the restoration. A friend told me that an artist is pulled to the city—just like a writer. While writers use words to relay the
heart and essence and atmosphere of the city, artists long to do so with their pens, pencils, and paints.

  Royal Street is known for its art shops but there are many scattered throughout the French Quarter and the city. You’ll find estate paintings, older pieces, and works by well-known masters. If contemporary art is special to you, you may want to take a trip to Julia Street in the Warehouse/Art District but if you’re fascinated by a stunning trip from gallery to gallery, just take a look at the many places on Royal. They are heavily conglomerated between the 300 and 800 blocks which allows for a really charming walk. Just a few to take in include Joe Dunn Arts, Mann Gallery, Gallerie Gauche Rive, Gallerie d’Art Francais, Elliott Gallery, and Kako Gallery. That’s naming just a few!

  As you pass fantastic street performers, you’ll also see fantastic artists along the way. It’s a way of life in New Orleans; it’s everywhere!

  One more particular favorite of mine is the Craig Tracy Gallery, 827 Royal Street. I’ve never seen such amazing work. The artist—Craig Tracy, born and bred in NOLA—paints on bodies. In the most beguiling manner, he uses the human form along with his brush and imagination to create some of the most unusual and visually stunning pieces I’ve ever seen. You’ll be staring at an amazing leopard and realize that it’s perfectly painted on a human body. Obviously, what you see on the walls is worracyk in a mixed media—but I promise you, you’ll be amazed. You can look up some of the incredible work at craigtracy.com.

  As with restaurants, I couldn’t begin to describe all of the art and artists in New Orleans. You can buy the acknowledged sublime, or you can find your own treasure. I have dozens of friends who have purchased a piece from a budding artist in Jackson Square—only to discover years later that their piece is worth tons and the artist they chatted with in the shade of the cathedral is now on the touted list!

  No matter what your pleasure, metal work, glass, paintings, sketches...you’ll find something that amazes you, and something that will allow you to bring back a little bit of New Orleans.

  2014 Update - Sadly this wonderful artist passed away on December 14th of 2013. Blue Dog lives on in our hearts, along with other wonders of his artistic imagination and paintbrush.

  Day Twenty - Jackson Square, The Cabildo, The Cathedral, and the Presbytere

  A picture speaks a thousand words, as we all know. No picture of New Orleans seems to speak quite as elegantly of the historical city as that of Jackson Square with the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral rising behind the famous statue of Andrew Jackson mounted on his rearing steed.

  As I write “why I love” today, I’m just back from NOLA. And I realized that it really is my home away from home and that I’m there so often, I didn’t actually start at a great place to begin—the heart of the French Quarter.

  Jackson Square.

  And it goes waaaay, way back.

  In Colonial days, of course, you had to have a place for men to practice defense. So, two things were decided the minute the French first chose their “high” ground where New Orleans would come to be—there should be a church set on the land and a place to practice arms. Let's remember the whole Louisiana experience. The New World was being colonized. Europeans came to the Western hemisphere. In Louisiana, those who came first were French, we know. The stretch of land where the military men and/or home guard were to drill at arms was called the Place d’Armes and before any land was designated as anything, it was known there would immediately be a church and a plot of land, or common square, for the armed forces/home guard to drill. The church would be named for France’s canonized king, Saint Louis. (Naturally, the statue in now-Jackson Square-and-was-Place d’Armes would come later!)

  St. Louis, as it stands now, has not been there forever and ever. But the place where the church would be was determined immediately. People have worshiped on the site of the current St. Louis since the first church was dedicated in 1727. But, in 1788, a fire started in the area when draperies caught fire and the church and other buildings in the area were just about charred flat.

  A new church was completed in 1794. Slowly, that church grew. A clock was brought from Paris along with a bell. Pieces were added. A major restoration began with the dearly remembered Baroness Pontalba. In 1844, she set into motion the rebuilding of the structures left to her—the Pontalba buildings that flank the square. She also put forth plans to create buildings that would compliment the Cabildo, the Presbytere, and the Cathedral, and added plans to donate funds for desperately needed restructuring of the Cathedral.

  It wasn’t to be easy. People were hired and fired; walls that should have stood collapsed. But, finally, after years went by, the beautiful Cathedral became what it is today—the grand Dame of the Square, ever looking over the green with its three towering steeples and magnificent facade. I’ve really touched just briefly on the history. If you’re going, don’t miss the Cathedral. I love St. Louis. I grew up with the—as my family lovingly called itself—off-the-potato-boat Irish, so I grew up with Catholic inclinations and my faith continues to be what I consider practicing Catholic—yes, I’m practicing. Don’t have it all right, but...going to St. Louis is an awesome experience for me! But, you don’t have to be Catholic or of any faith to enjoy the architecture and the treasures within; just remember that it remains an active Cathedral with a large congregation. Walk the steps that Andrew Jackson walked, visiting twenty-five years after his triumph over the British!

  Facing the Cathedral, to your left, you’ll see the Cabildo. It was built in 1795. It served as the capital for the Spanish legislative assembly and then as City Hall. From 1853 until 1911, it housed the Louisiana Supreme Court. Now, it’s a museum, a flagship property of the Louisiana State Museum. It’s chock full of history which makes a lot of sense—it’s a very historic building.

  Facing the Cathedral and to your right is the Presbytere—built between 1794 and 1814. A government building as well, it served as a courthouse until 1911.

  And now, like the Cabildo, it’s part of the Louisiana State museum.

  There are museums I really suggest to see—you’ll get an amazing sense of why New Orleans (and Louisiana) is different. Their laws remain “Napoleonic,” and their way of life was influence by many flags—French, Spanish, French, American, Confederate, and American again. Get a sense of the lifestyle of the people there. See what the people went through from finding high ground in the great Crescent City and founding a colony, to wars and reconstruction, and into the present; they do have changing exhibits and have presented the “Summer of Storms” with heartbreaking clarity, honesty, and human interest.

  We’ll go back to Baroness Pontalba. She remains revered with good reason; she liked to use her money for the common good, to push forward through the red tape of her day, and create beautiful things. I’m sure it’s lovely to get to do this if you inherited your money, but, hey—she liked to put hers to good use and she did. Now, on the ground floors of these buildings, you’ll find a variety of shops and restaurants. The upper floor house apartments—as they were originally planned. The Pontalba Buildings, the Cabildo, the Cathedral, and the Presbytere all create the horseshoe around the Square.

  The Square itself! Well, you have the statue of Andrew Jackson. And grass and paths and benches and it’s just lovely. You can lie in that grass and look up at the sky or pose—as a host before you!—with Andy at his statue. In front of the Square, you’ll find artists hanging their work “on the fence.” And there, in front, on Decatur Street, you’ll find the mule-drawn carriages waiting to take you around the French Quarter, with guides who love the history or the city and the ghosts of the city—and are happy to share one or the other of both. (Ghosts need good history, you know!)

  Here, too, along the walks, between the Cathedral and the green, you’ll find all kinds of performers. Musicians, creatures, beings, human statues and more. No two days will ever be the same.

  It’s the heart of the French Quarter. And you can feel its pulse!

  Day Twenty-On
e - Pirates!

  Lafitte once claimed to have been born in Bordeaux, France. His brother, Pierre, claimed to have been born in Bayonne. Several of the pairs biographers have claimed that they were born anywhere from upstate New York to Saint Dominique, in what is now Haiti, and there are a few who suggest a small city in Spain and some who say maybe even New Orleans. You’d think he’d know where he was born—except that claiming to be a French citizen was helpful when dealing with American laws.

  So, he was born somewhere in the world sometime around the year 1782. By the late 1790s, his brother, Pierre, was in Saint Dominique and Jean was most likely with him. Due to the violence of the Haitian Revolution, they left—and came over to New Orleans.

  In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase made New Orleans an American city and in 1808, the country began seriously enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807. They’d been traders, really, until that point, dealing with the Caribbean countries and supplying New Orleans merchants with the goods they’d needed.

  Off they went to Barataria Island, which was sparsely settled and not easily accessible by the American navy. Here they set up their own little kingdom, essentially. They began their life of piracy with first one ship and then another, and soon they were rolling in ships and ill-gotten goods.

  Is there such a thing as a good pirate? Well, the Lafitte brothers were known for treating captives decently; after taking the goods, they sometimes even returned ships to their crews.

  The merchants of New Orleans were fond of the pirates. Without the pirates, they wouldn’t have any merchandise.

  Eventually, Governor Claiborne became furious with the situation; he posted handbills across New Orleans and in newspapers posting a 500 dollar reward for Lafitte. (Big bucks in those days.) But Lafitte was loved; the next day, handbills posting a higher ransom for Governor Claiborne appeared all over the city.