Member Highlight: Arts Estuary 1024

Arts Estuary 1024 is a multi-tenant arts facility in a renovated historic building. The center is located at 1024 Elysian Fields Avenue in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans on the edge of the St. Claude Avenue Arts District. Arts Estuary 1024 supports a collaborative environment that fosters the growth and development of individuals and organizations dedicated to the creative arts and community engagement. The facility is primarily used as administrative space for local cultural organizations but can also accommodate meetings, gatherings, rehearsals, receptions, and events.

What is an interesting fact about your space?

The property has been the site of several businesses including the former E.J. Ranson & Sons Funeral Home. Native son John Kennedy O’Toole’s funeral was held in one of the former parlors. O’Toole is the Pulitzer Prize author of A Confederacy of Dunces.

What are your favorite resources that you would recommend to others?

NPN/VAN engages locally while acting nationally and internationally, and is committed to sharing its resources with its home community — smaller art organizations and artists of New Orleans. Direct support is available through its Local Network and Fiscal Sponsorship. Since 2011 when NPN inaugurated the practice and principles underlying its local involvement as a fiscal sponsor and intermediary partner, 43 projects have benefited from NPN/VAN’s services. This number continues to grow while reflecting the incessant need of this type of support concerning infrastructure and capacity for the critical work happening in New Orleans.

The Local Network is an intentional learning community working with small, emerging arts organizations in peer-to-peer exchanges, built on a framework that encourages collaboration among the projects and other community partners. The Local Network offers technical assistance, educating artists and staff about planning, financial management, and resource development. The Local Network’s goals are to encourage these organizations to develop effective management and planning tools; become familiar and comfortable with standard fiscal controls; successfully seek grants and contributions; develop good governance structures; and be powerful advocates on their own behalf in local and state policy arenas.

Fiscal Sponsorship provides nonprofit status and financial and administrative services to artists and artist collectives. By managing sponsorships, NPN/VAN offers accessibility so that artists gain experience with, and support through, formal granting systems and private giving that provide financial stability to artists while they practice their art.

Connect with Arts Estuary 1024:

Web: http://npnweb.org/ae1024/ and http://npnweb.org/

Facebook: @ArtsEstuary1024 and @NPNandVAN

Twitter: @NPN_VAN