Arts & Culture |
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The first operas in America were performed in New Orleans in the 1790s, when the Spanish-style townhouses of the French Quarter and the exquisite Greek Revival mansions of the Garden District were built. Restaurants offered foods of many cultures, as well as the distinct Cajun and Creole cuisines. Ante-bellum New Orleans was the musical hotbed of the nation, and artists and craftsmen from around the globe immigrated to the vibrant port. Visitors of all classes enjoyed the luxuries, and perhaps the decadences, of "the city that care forgot." Residents reveled in cultural and recreational opportunities far beyond what most cities of New Orleans' size could offer. New Orleans was the cultural capital of the South. Today, New Orleans is undergoing a creative renaissance and reclaiming that title. The city boasts world-class museums, including Smithsonian affiliates The National World War II Museum and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Artist studios and galleries line the streets of the French Quarter/Marigny, Warehouse/Arts District and Magazine Street. Performing arts groups, their shows, and the venues that host them speckle the map. All around the city, historic neighborhoods are being revitalized by architectural restoration and gentrification. |
