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SLY WATTS

@sly.watts

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controversial not commercial, nigga

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‘WHOLENEWWARDCONCEPTION1’ is on view right now at @thefrontnola . I’m currently here at the gallery for anyone who’d like to come say hi. Gallery closes at 5pm. I’ll also be here next Sunday. Come through! This’ll be up for about 2 more weekends! taken in The Front by @sly.watts

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5 months ago

proof of life.

i’m finally releasing some old songs on all DSPs + a few more.

i also used my time last fall at @thefrontnola to work on my wire sculpture series. i’ll finally be sharing this work at @thefrontnola next month.

DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH SLIDE BELOW ⬇️

1 - me in flushing, queens, new york, november 2025

2 - snippet of a song i’m writing/producing

slides 3-8 are snippets of things i’ve written on bass, guitar and piano

3 - bassline for a song i’m writing

4 - bassline & lyrics for a song i’m writing + some improv over the beat

5 - guitar riff for a song i’m writing

6 - me freestyling + putting together words for a verse i’m writing

7 - me jamming on bass with the one & mf only @spramineni on guitar

8 - a piano piece i wrote recently

9 - me freestyling at @mezcaleriamilagrosa in brooklyn, new york with @flymyspcshp about 2 hours after meeting him for the first time in manhattan. november 2025

10 - same jam, (funny story) i’d been hanging out earlier that night with @spramineni (small world!) who was also in nyc & happened to be staying in williamsburg. i told her to pull up IMMEDIATELY & asked the band to have her sit in & play the bass for the beginning of their 2nd set (she & i actually were supposed to play a show on this trip, which fell through so it worked out anyway haha!)

11 - a verse i recorded for a song in progress produced by my mf dawg @seprock_beats

12 - chords i put together for a song i’m working on with @evnston and @whoisadiaj

slides 13-16 are of me building a wire sculpture

13 - building the torso for my wire sculpture (with an instrumental loop i built playing in the background)

14 - building the legs & pelvis for the wire sculpture

15 - hand piece for that wire sculpture

16 - work in progress for the wire sculpture posed before full assemblage

17 - me at tet fest, new orleans east, february 2026 📸: @whoisadiaj

18 - me at the opening of ‘Joan Mitchell, 1960-1965’ at @davidzwirner in manhattan, new york, november 2025

19 - artistic insight

20 - personal insight by @sly.watts

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6 months ago

Chapter 12: Sly Watts
Full performance link in bio. by @sly.watts

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7 months ago

MAKING MY @snugjazz_nola DEBUT ON HALLOWEEN (10/31), DOORS AT 4, SHOW IS FROM 4:30-6PM. THIS SHOW IS FREE, AS A PART OF THE SNUG HARBOR HAPPY HOUR SERIES.

Very excited to be bringing my music to this venue and to be joined with an amazing band. I’m also gearing up to release these old songs and so this show will be a window into both old and new work I’ve been developing.

I’ll be joined by these all-stars:

@victorcampbell.art - Piano
@liilneni - Guitar & Bass
@seprock_beats - Live Sampling
@drumisrok - Drums
@chloebandita - Vocals

I’m also SUPER SUPER SUPER excited to add a theatrical element to my set, and will also be joined by the otherworldy acting talent (amongst several talents) of the one & only @roneyljones who will be hosting this show. I’m genuinely honored beyond words!

BRING A DATE(s). BRING A FRIEND(s). BRING YOURSELVES.

More info at the 🔗 in my bio. taken in Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro by @sly.watts

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2 days ago

🎂
Thankful for all that I’ve done this past year. by @sly.watts

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a month ago

‘MORE HUMANS’ is on view now at @carrollgallery until July 17th, featuring 2 of my sculptures . Thank you to everyone who came to the opening reception last night. I’m very grateful to @vanishingpointpress for including my work in this exhibitionn and am excited for how she put together such an amazing group of artists for an amazing show. The gallery is open M-F, 9-4pm + by appointment.

Thank you to my father @jazn64 and sister @shainaauh for also pulling up and turning my time there into a photoshoot.

Special shout out to @saramadandarstudio and @hekaraoglu for getting footage of me talking about my work!

Also special shout out to @sgclarkart for his super incredible paintings featured behind me acting as a great backdrop in most of these images. taken in Newcomb Art Department at Tulane University by @sly.watts

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4 months ago

Thank you to everyone who caught my exhibition ‘WHOLENEWWARDCONCEPTION1’ while it was up at @thefrontnola . If you missed the show, these 2 sculptures are now featured in the group show ‘More Humans’ which is up at @carrollgallery as of Monday June 15th. Opening reception for this show will take place on June 25th, 5:30pm-7:30pm. This exhibition will be on display between June 15th-July 17th.

Thank you so much to @vanishingpointpress for including me in this exhibition and for curating an amazing group show. There’s lot of really great work included!

Gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm + by appointment. taken in Newcomb Art Department at Tulane University by @sly.watts

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4 months ago

Thank you all so much for coming to view this show while it has been up at @thefrontnola . Tomorrow is the last day to view ‘WHOLENEWWARDCONCEPTION1.’ The gallery is open today and tomorrow 12-5pm. I will be hanging out there tomorrow for the day. Come say hi.

This show has been interesting for me because I’ve mostly been using it to brainstorm and experiment with presentation. I have a better understanding of how I want to incorporate my visual work into my musical performances and where I want my visual work to live. I’m grateful to all of you who have come to view the sculptures so far. They’ll be moving to another exhibition directly after this show goes down. More info on that soon. taken in The Front by @sly.watts

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4 months ago

‘WHOLENEWWARDCONCEPTION1’ is on view now at @thefrontnola . the gallery is open today 12-5pm. i’ll be there gallery sitting for the day. come see the shows that are up right now. come say hi. this show will only be up for another weekend. taken in The Front by @sly.watts

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5 months ago

‘WHOLENEWWARDCONCEPTION1’
AN EXHIBITION OF SCULPTURAL WORKS BY SLY WATTS

ON VIEW AT @thefrontnola BEGINNING MAY 9, THROUGH JUNE 7, 2026.
OPENING RECEPTION IS THIS SATURDAY (MAY 9), 6-10PM

[I’ve been fairly quiet about my visual artwork for some time. I’m finally deciding to be more visible with my work, despite where I am currently in my process. I’ve realized that I don’t have to make sense to others throughout my process. I now understand that it is more important to just make the thing EXIST first, & to create the space for the work to exist. I’m getting out of my own way & allowing it all to take up some space. Developing these sculptures by hand has been cathartic & also meditative. These works are based on new songs that I’m writing which makes the sculptures that much more special to me. Hopefully you all come out Saturday to see the works or just come say hey. Thanks.]

GALLERY IS OPEN ON WEEKENDS, SAT & SUN, 12-5PM IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE OPENING RECEPTION.

[ARTIST STATEMENT ON SLIDE 3]
[SLIDE 4 📸: @j.likeduhletter ] taken in The Front by @sly.watts

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5 months ago

TONIGHT! (1/17) ‘SOMNOTOMY’ OPENS AT @canoa.nola 7:30PM. ORIGINAL DEVISED PLAY BY @intramuraltheater

STARRING
@theatrebymary
@nosepheratu
@jaquannhenderson
@gillawatts
@thebilliexojean
@sly.watts

LEAD PLAYWRITING BY
@bennett_here
@tclarkbigtime

DIRECTED BY
@bennett_here

ASSISTANT DIRECTED BY
@roneyljones

PRODUCED BY
@bennett_here
@mcdavista

SOUND DESIGN AND LIVE MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT BY
@gillawatts

ORIGINAL MUSIC SOUNDTRACK BY
@sly.watts

(full credits on the last slide)

BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. EXCITED TO MAKE MY ACTING DEBUT ON STAGE, ESPECIALLY FOR A COMEDIC PLAY. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TONIGHT, THERE ARE A FEW MORE DATES TO SEE THE SHOW. (listed below)

1/17
1/18
1/19
1/20
1/23
1/25
1/26

TONIGHT (OPENING NIGHT) IS PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN

(you may hear new music playing that i’ve made if you come out to see the play)

TICKETS AT THE LINK IN MY BIO

YOU CAN WATCH THE FULL @fox8nola SEGMENT WHERE @bennett_here AND I TALK ABOUT THE PLAY AT THE LINK IN MY BIO AS WELL

SEE Y’ALL TONIGHT! taken in New Orleans, Louisiana by @sly.watts

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9 months ago

quick look back at @sly.watts at @couches______ . still working thru the footage for the longform release on youtube. it’s coming.

Watch/listen to Sly talk to @nanakaleto pre-show before jumping into his set closer.

footage by @el.ron_mathieu & @lizzy_bet_xo
mix/edit by @soundbetter

Sly’s band: @ellehasmoxie @rokthebarbarian @spramineni @mantisshrimp @seprock_beats

We’re back at @virginhotelsnola THIS month.
txt us to hear about it before everyone else. by @sly.watts

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a year ago