StudioBE
Art gallery · Bywater
2941 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Highlights
Vibrant murals celebrate Black culture, history, and resilience
Vibrant murals celebrate Black culture, history, and resilience
"Set in Brandan “BMIKE” Odums’ Bywater studio, StudioBe will host the Family Style Food Festival’s New Orleans event on Saturday, February 8; the festival’s organizers said bringing the event to New Orleans was a longtime dream and that they intended to approach it differently here." - Eater Staff
"This cultural venue (located at 2941 Royal Street) is hosting a Family Style Fest on Saturday, February 8 from 3 to 8 p.m., an LA-born walk-around tasting event produced in partnership with artist Brandan “BMIKE” Odums; the free festival brings together roughly 10 restaurants and 8 bars — including Acamaya, Chicken’s Kitchen, Miss Linda the Yakamein Lady, Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, Cane & Table, Turkey and the Wolf, and Mister Mao — and features live performances by Mannie Fresh, SANGO, and a surprise guest (free RSVP required)." - Clair Lorell
"On Saturday, February 8 this Bywater studio owned by Brandan "BMIKE" Odums (described in the piece as "one of New Orleans’s most famous visual artists") will host a free, one-day Family Style Food Festival event running 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The festival at the space features a relatively small but heavy-hitting lineup of 10 local restaurants and eight bars — including Acamaya, Chicken’s Kitchen, Dooky Chase, Jewel of the South, Compère Lapin, and Miss Linda the Yakamein Lady — with cocktails and small plates served to a soundtrack of live performances by hometown hero Mannie Fresh, SANGO, Dj Towfu, and a surprise headliner. The event is free to attend and all the food and drink are complimentary; as one co-founder put it, "We felt weird coming into the city for the first time and charging," Canares says. On the festival's approach, co-founder Miles Canares says, "It has always been a dream for us to do something in New Orleans," and "And we knew if we were going to come in here, it was going to be a little different than how we normally approach things." He also relayed Odums' insistence that the event prioritize the city and its residents, ensuring "the people who keep the city running 365 days a year, outside of these special moments, feel included and appreciated," he says. True to its LA roots, the event will give away a streetwear capsule created with participating restaurants (later sold on Complex Shop) and will include a $1 million giveaway for one lucky attendee, courtesy of online gaming company Monkey Tilt." - Clair Lorell
"This studio—in a huge warehouse space in the Bywater neighborhood—showcases the work of local artist Brandon Odums (aka BMike). He specializes in large-scale murals and paintings illustrating scenes from black culture in the city, black leaders and icons; the exhibits show off the whole range of Odum’s talent, with mixed media pieces including sculpture and video. The real stars of the show—and the works for which he is most famous—are the floor-to-ceiling portraits." - Paul Oswell
"So, what’s this place about?The studio—in a huge warehouse space in the Bywater neighborhood—showcases the work of local artist Brandon Odums (also known as BMike). He specializes in large-scale murals and paintings illustrating scenes from black culture in the city and black cultural leaders and icons. That sounds cool. How’s the space?It’s a warehouse space, so it’s best visited when the weather is comfortable. The layout and lighting shows off these impressively scaled and rendered works to their full effect, and without too much foot traffic passing through, you're free to move around in relative comfort. The art’s the main thing, of course. How is it?The exhibits show off the whole range of Odum’s talent, with mixed media pieces including sculpture and video, but the real stars of the show—and the works for which he is most famous—are the floor-to-ceiling portraits. I’m interested. At the end of the day, what—or who—is this place best for?The gallery is an inspiring example of community art and a real breath of fresh air compared to the relative stuffiness of some galleries in the official "art" districts. It will reward people ready to explore beyond the main commercial art drags, especially fans of street art, black culture, and truly awe-inspiring, large-scale portraiture." - Paul Oswell
