The History of New Orleans' Jazz and the Art of William Hemmerling

The History of New Orleans' Jazz...
Courtesy of Wikipedia.org
New Orleans has always been a significant center for music, showcasing its intertwined European, Latin American, and African cultures. New Orleans' unique musical heritage was born in its pre-American and early American days from a unique blending of European instruments with African rhythms. As the only North American city to allow slaves to gather in public and play their native music (largely in Congo Square, now located within Louis Armstrong Park), New Orleans gave birth to an indigenous music: JAZZ. Soon, brass bands formed, gaining popular attraction that still holds today. The city's music was later significantly influenced by Acadiana, home of Cajun and Zydeco music, and Delta blues.

The enormously famous New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival features jazz and many other genres by local, national, and internationally known artists.

The Art of William Hemmerling...
The Influence of southern folk culture and many diverse life experiences are incorporated into the eclectic painting of William Hemmerling. Bill was born in Chicago and moved to Ponchatoula, Louisiana in 1977. Upon retirement in March 2002, he finally found time to paint from the heart. He is an untrained artist, yet his work reflects sophistication and creativity in both subject matter and the use of unusual materials. Bill is constantly searching for and using found or recycled materials for his one-of-a-kind creations.

>>Click here to learn more about this Outstanding Louisiana Artist William Hemmerling

A Story of the Jazz Funeral

A Story of the Jazz Funeral... Courtesy of Wikipedia.org Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral tradition with music which developed in New Orleans, LouisianThe term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition. The preferred description was "funeral with music"; while jazz was part of the music played, it was not the primary focus of the ceremony. This reluctance to use the term faded significantly in the final 15 years or so of the 20th century among the younger generation of New Orleans brass band musicians more familiar with the post-Dirty Dozen Brass Band funk influenced style than the older traditional jazz New Orleans style. A typical jazz funeral begins with a march by the family, friends, and a brass band from the home, funeral home or church to the cemetery. Throughout the march, the band plays somber dirges and hymns. A change in the tenor of the ceremony takes place, after either the deceased is buried, or the hearse leaves the procession and members of the procession say their final good bye and they "cut the body loose". After this the music becomes more upbeat, often starting with a hymn or spiritual number played in a swinging fashion, then going into popular hot tunes. There is raucous music and cathartic dancing where onlookers join in to celebrate the life of the deceased. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the second line, and their style of dancing, in which they walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air, is called second lining. The Art of Alan Flattmann... Spanning a career of over 4 decades, Alan Flattmann is recognized as one of America's most outstanding and gifted artists. He was inducted into The Pastel Society of America’s “Hall of Fame” in 2006 and awarded the PSA Master Pastelist distinction in 1991. He is the recipient of the 1996 American Artist Art Masters Award for pastel teacher and has been listed in Who's Who in American Art since 1981. He won First Place for Landscape in the Inaugural Pastel Artist International Magazine Awards for World-Wide Excellence and Best of Show in the Pastel Society of North Florida 2004 Biennial National Exhibition.. In conjunction with the publication of the book, “Alan Flattmann’s French Quarter Impressions”, the mayor of New Orleans, C. Ray Nagin, officially proclaimed September 28, 2002 as Alan Flattmann Day in recognition of 25 years of success painting in the French Quarter. These are just a few of the numerous awards he had won over his career. He is also a founder and current president of the Degas Pastel Society and has served as a judge for many national painting exhibitions. Public collections include The New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Oklahoma Art Center, Longview Museum of Art, Mississippi Museum of Art, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Meriden Arts Association, New Orleans Art Association, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Belhaven College and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation. Click here to learn more!!

Alan Flattmann New Orleans Jazz Funeral Alan Flattmann Jazz Funeral Procession Alan Flattmann Brass Band Revelry Alan Flattmann Marching Brass Band

Original Four Seasons Suite by Ellenshaw - Now Available!

As a visual effects designer and filmmaker, Harrison Ellenshaw's work can be seen in such films as STAR WARS, TRON, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK,CAPTAIN EO, DICK TRACY, and many others. He has also had a successful career as an artist with one-man shows of his paintings in London, New York, and San Francisco.

Peter Ellenshaw has received five Academy Award® nominations, winning the Oscar® for his stunning recreation of Edwardian London in the Walt Disney's classic, Mary Poppins. Throughout the years, Ellenshaw has sought to capture the drama and emotions of many different scenes. His work is represented in both public and private collections worldwide. He has received numerous honors and retrospectives including those by the American Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Film Institute of Chicago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the R.W. Norton Art Museum in Shreveport, Louisiana and has been bestowed the illustrious title of "Disney Legend."

In their first creative collaboration since Disney's, "The Black Hole" (1979), Peter & Harrison Ellenshaw have come together to create "We can Fly". Their first in a series of collaborative works celebrates the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney's, "Peter Pan".

This is just one of the four beautiful pieces in the Four Seasons Suite by Peter and Harrison Ellenshaw. Click here to view the Suite and learn more about the artists!

Their next piece will be "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," which according to Harrison, "was my introduction to Hollywood, at least to the Disney style of epic movie making. This was an exciting time, seeing my father involved in one of Walt Disney's most successful live action films."

NEW - Nana's Garden by Daniel Gerhartz

Daniel Gerhartz has done it again... with the release of his latest work, “Nana’s Garden”, Gerhartz captures the beauty of childhood innocence in a simple moment of time. his focus to light and texture lend a ethereal 3-d effect to the work.

Only 50 of an edition of 150 are available in the United States and we anticipate a very quick sell out. Interested investors should contact Teri Galleries immediately at 504-887-8588 or 800-533-8374.

"My desire as an artist is that the images I paint would point to the Creator, and not to me, the conveyor. J. S. Bach said it well as he signed his work, "Soli Deo Gloria," To God alone be the Glory." -Daniel F. Gerhartz

>Click here to learn more about Daniel Gerhartz.