nancy.

as a teenager, I was fortunate to attend a music program that changed the trajectory of my life in more ways than one. i spent two summers in new orleans studying jazz but what I walked away with was something far beyond the technical training I received. every week we attended these salons that would showcase art, music, dance, food and storytelling in someone’s home throughout the city. it fostered community, broke down the barriers to access art in various forms and opened up multi-generational conversations. and most importantly, the performing and visual art centered was always black.

what I learned from these salons was essentially art is not merely a feature nor just an expression of black people but also the conduit through which black history flows. when we started planning ‘the recipe,’ memories of my nola salon experiences kept resurfacing and kept me grounded knowing what kind of space I wanted to create for the artists and attendees. the ideas for the event were pulled from the senses we experience daily. the music, the visual art, the food, the flowers all coming together to create a distinct event.

i’m so grateful to the artists, @talya.paints & @juliemontejo who trusted me to showcase their vulnerable pieces. and i’m so thankful that @rudegyaldani, our chef and partner, was by my side every step of the way. more on the art to come but for now, enjoy the vibe we curated🍾