Jazz Fest 1970 & 1971: Beauregard Square Exhibition
New Orleans, LA -The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will unveil the first-ever showing of materials from the Foundation's Archive in a new exhibit documenting the first two years of Jazz Fest. "Jazz Fest 1970 & 1971: Beauregard Square" will open with a 6 p.m. reception on Friday, April 4, at the Jazz & Heritage Gallery (1205 N. Rampart Street). Gallery admission is free to the public; regular opening hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit runs through June 6.
The show conveys the rich history of the event then known as the New Orleans Jazz Festival & Louisiana Heritage Fair. It features various pieces of memorabilia and documentation that illustrate the challenges of staging what would eventually become one of the top music festivals in the world: photos, posters, ticket stubs, correspondence between the producers and city officials, production invoices and more.
The exhibit also features a collection of Noel Rockmore watercolors that illustrate the early days of the festival.
"It truly is an amazing reflection of our history," said Don Marshall, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation's executive director. " It really brings to light how far we have come – from a time when there were more musicians onstage than there were people in the audience, to now, when we’re an engine of our city's cultural economy."
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, proceeds from which support the foundation's year-round community development activities in the areas of education, economic development and cultural programming. Programs and assets of the foundation include: radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive, the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series, the Jazz Journey concert series, the Community Partnership Grants program, the Raisin' the Roof housing initiative and the S.E.E.D. micro-loan program for entrepreneurs. The foundation also produces community events such as the Crescent City Blues Festival, Fiesta Latina, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Down by the Riverside Thanksgiving concert and others.
For additional information, please (504) 558-6100 or visit www.jazzandheritage.com. 
For the most recent info on this event and others,
check our New Orleans Special Event Calendar.
