Living Artfully
Cover Artist James Michalopoulos “YEARS FLY BY, but sometimes days are endlessly long, and weeks are moments.” James Michalopoulos stated as we chatted the week before Hurricane Ida’s landfall. We were talking about his 35 years in New Orleans, but oh, how we can relate to this statement during hurricane recovery. A lot of our conversation was about the pandemic, the climate crisis, and how the two have affected the arts. He says, “Living artfully in a lot of ways is about being authentic with the challenges we have. And it’s a
photo: JEFF STROUT
by Leah Draffen
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I n side N ew Orl ean s
deepening experience to do that. Now is a challenging moment in humanity. I would love to see us rise to the occasion of responsible action so that the arts can continue to support our celebration as a community. “We grow when we take a deep breath and face a difficulty. If we stand before it, we suddenly find out that we have the reserves to deal with it. And you don’t know that until you do.” In terms of the pandemic, James’ work is conveniently performed in isolation which posed no inhibitions for him to paint. Yet, he missed sharing his work with people. “It has been very unfortunate not having the ability to meet people in public. My life has turned toward isolation. I miss dining out, visiting with friends, all the things that come with an ordinary world. That said, it has been a rich year and a half of exploration in the world of painting, sculpture, and personal philosophical study.” Much of James’ painting this past year came in the form of musical interpretation even in a time when New Orleans’ music scene was closed. Just as a crowd moves to the sounds of a jazz quartet, James’ painted houses and buildings dance right off the canvas giving a soul to objects that are otherwise inanimate. His music paintings, however, are naturally overflowing with soul. With James’ broad strokes and full-of-motion perspective, you can hear Satchmo’s warm raspy voice and sonorous trumpet. Currently, the second-floor gallery of the New Orleans Jazz Museum is home to James’ >>
