About the artists:
John Scott
“John Scott was one of those rare artistic spirits who let the “sidewalks of New Orleans” speak to his soul and imagination. Through his singular art, he has left us a visual and artistic legacy that will inspire us for generations….Scott used the words “jazz thinking” in describing his mindset while creating his art: “[I]f you listen to a really good jazz group three things are always evident. . . Jazz musicians are always in the ‘now’ while you’re hearing it, but these guys are incredibly aware of where they have been and have an unbelievable anticipation of where they are going. . . To me that’s jazz thinking. It’s improvisational thinking in the sense that I don’t have to contrive some system of connecting two things that don’t seem related because I understand the relationship.”
Ayo Scott
“There was a time that i created as a means of letting things go. (my father, grad school, and New Orleans after Katrina). After witnessing the storm and the changes that came after it i now create to hold onto or preserve things. Seeing the face of a city change so quickly has brought me grief and purpose. i now create to preserve pieces of the things and people that make New Orleans so special and magnify them. Our culture warriors act as ambassadors of our way of life to people around the world. Instead of creating to let go I now create to hold on. My subject is now focused on ways to celebrate the defenders of the spirit of New Orleans.” –Ayo Scott
Steve Prince
“The many rhythms of New Orleans cross-fertilized culture reflect themselves throughout Steve [Prince]’s art. The rich traditions of art, music, and religion pulsate through Steve’s woodcuts and drawings. They rise up as metaphors and messages that guide the viewer into the depths of his expressive imagination. … It is Steve’s faith that calls him to be an artist. His work is an unending exploration of that faith and it’s relationship to his life, his culture and his community. To Steve, “We are all living epistles, whether we want to be or not.”
Website: http://ayoscott.com/
