NEW ORLEANS – The Algiers levee of the Mississippi River will be set aglow on Saturday, as the Algiers Holiday Bonfire, which includes a massive installation, FLOODWALL, by artist Jana Napoli is lighted by City Council President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, District C Councilmember Kristin Gisleson-Palmer, Algiers Economic Development District President Christopher Kane and the artist herself. The event is supported by the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.
“The bonfire structure is always an artistic endeavor by the fire department,” Kane said, “and this year it is created from a work of art that the artist wants to ‘send up’ on behalf of the people of New Orleans as they move forward with their lives. It’s a collective offering we can make together on Saturday.”
But this is New Orleans, so the event will certainly not be somber. It will kick off at 5 p.m. with live music from the U.S. Navy Band, Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans, James Andrews, Glen David Andrews and the Algiers Brass Band. Food and beverages will be available for sale. A riverboat parade with Santa will signal the bonfire lighting at approximately 8:30 p.m. with a second line from the stage to the three-tiered structure.
Napoli’s massive art installation is constructed from 700 drawers collected from victims’ homes after Hurricane Katrina. Each in inscribed with a statement from the owner, noting its use in the household. (FLOOWDALL.com). The exhibition has traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, with its recent return to New Orleans is its final destination. Owners of the drawers have been invited to attend the event.
“These household drawers restore to us a part of what the levee failures shattered,” Napoli said. “FLOODWALL stands witness to the magnitude of devastation, but also to the transformative power imbued in everyday life.”
Speaking of restoration, the bonfire was long a tradition at Algiers Point until Katrina. It was reinstated last year by Councilmember Gisleson Palmer, Council President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson and the Algiers Economic Development Foundation. The location is near the Algiers Ferry terminal just beyond the Cultural Village, where recent work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has created a large open space. Due to anticipated large crowds, visiting the site via ferry, bicycle or on foot is recommended.
Sponsors of the event include City of New Orleans, State of Louisiana, Algiers Charter School Association/ Algiers Technical Academy, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Conoco Phillips, Chalmette Refining LLC, Whitney Bank, Crescent Towing, TCI Transport, WWL TV, nola.com, Camp Dresser McKee, Dash Lumber, Capital One Bank, Harrah’s Casino, Holiday Inn Westbank, Entergy New Orleans, French Market Corporation, Southern Eagle, Ochsner Medical Center- Westbank Campus, River Parishes Disposal and The Cultural Village. Additional support comes from the New Orleans Fire Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, New Orleans Levee District, New Orleans Port Authority, New Orleans Police Department and the Offices of District C Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer and Council President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy.
