New York Comes to New Orleans!

May 8

We are pleased to share that Jason McCoy Gallery of NYC is presenting Susan Swartz at Ten Nineteen in New Orleans, April 27 - May 20. Located at 1019 Erato Street, the exhibition is open from 11am - 6pm daily, or by appointment. 10% of sales will be donated to the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The pop-up is a new concept conceived by Jason McCoy that is designed to bring Susan’s art to different audiences in a new way with outreach and compelling community integration. The exhibition kicked off here in New Orleans during the city’s renowned annual Jazz Festival with a local media partnership - the Times-Picayune Advocate ADORE Magazine, Gambit, and NOLA.com.

The pop-up is hosted by Ten Nineteen, founded by Elizabeth Monaghan. Through exhibitions, performances, community programs, political events and institutional partnerships, Ten Nineteen strives to enrich public dialogue and stimulate culture shift by supporting artistic innovation and independent thought. The venue in the lower garden district explores new ways to approach social, environmental, economic, and political challenges. We are thrilled to have shared this partnership with Elizabeth and her husband Willy Monaghan, a renowned local industrial artist.

NOCCA VISIT

Susan’s visit began with a guest lecture at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. NOCCA is a high school that strives to “provide world-class arts education for every young person in Louisiana with the curiosity, creativity, talent, and motivation to pursue a life in the arts as they realize the best possible versions of themselves and their futures.” NOCCA has fostered such talented students as Harry Connick Jr, several members of the Marsalis family, and Jon Baptiste among others. NOCCA Alum and celebrated artist Marcus Brown invited Susan to present a Professional Practices masterclass to the Level 3 students. After her lecture, she was able to observe the students installing their end-of-year show, and she spoke with Khalil McKnight who is short-listed as a Presidential Scholar.

Marcus Brown

NOCCA Masterclass

Khalil McKnight

Susan began her career as a high school art teacher, and she was thrilled to revisit her roots and reprise her role working with students. The students asked incredibly poignant questions in the Q&A such as how to overcome creative blocks and barriers, and Susan encouraged them each to find and follow their own unique voices.

OPENING RECEPTION AT TEN NINETEEN

The gallery overflowed with an impressive guest list from New Orleanians to New Yorkers alike including celebrated author Walter Isaacson; John and Dathel Georges, owners of the Times-Picayune; the renowned collector Walda Besthoff; Donna Rosen; artist Marcus Brown; and Keith Fox, CEO of Phaidon Press among others.

POST-RECEPTION DINNER AT THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART IN THE SYDNEY AND WALDA BESTHOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN

NOMA was the perfect setting for the celebratory dinner as it is a living example of art in nature and resilience in overcoming challenges. The garden, once devastated by Hurricane Katrina, is now thriving. It doubled in size in 2019 and has grown to include more than 90 sculptures. This path echoes Susan’s own as her artistic work was drastically affected by her conception of two environmentally-borne illnesses. Nature was also responsible for the return of her health through food, and she remains inspired by nature's ability to heal and nurture our bodies. Incorporating dried fruit, flora, and herbs into her paintings, Swartz hopes to remind us of the environment's fragility and our responsibility to protect it for our health.