The Bywater sits between the Marigny and the Industrial Canal where warehouses meet shotgun houses and artists work in spaces that used to store cargo. Four installations operate in this neighborhood showing different approaches to New Orleans art: civil rights murals, sonic architecture, folk art, and immersive digital experiences.
Studio BE, 2941 Royal Street, Bywater.
Brandan “B-mike” Odums converted a 35,000-square-foot warehouse into a massive exhibition space featuring his murals about civil rights, Black culture, and New Orleans history. The murals cover entire walls, some three stories tall. Subjects include Harriet Tubman, Nina Simone, Trayvon Martin, and local New Orleans figures. The warehouse itself is part of the art: exposed brick, industrial windows, concrete floors.
Odums started painting in abandoned buildings around New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Studio BE is his permanent space. The exhibition changes periodically as new murals replace old ones. Free admission, donations accepted. Hours vary, check website or social media before visiting. Located on Royal Street in the Bywater past most residential areas. Street parking. studiobe.us
Music Box Village, 4557 North Rampart Street, Bywater.
Twenty playable sound installations where buildings function as instruments. Houses made of corrugated metal produce percussion. Sheds strung with piano wire become giant zithers. Towers filled with bottles hum when wind passes through. Visitors play the structures by bowing, striking, or activating them. The village hosts concerts where musicians use the architecture as instruments.
Workshops teach sound installation building. Hours vary, not open daily like traditional museums. Self-guided visits $10-15. Concert tickets cost more. Check website before showing up. The site sits next to the Industrial Canal in an in-between space where the Bywater meets light industrial areas. Best visited in spring or fall, summer is miserable. musicboxvillage.com
Dr. Bob’s Folk Art, 3027 Chartres Street, Bywater.
Dr. Bob Shaffer makes the “Be Nice or Leave” signs sold in shops across New Orleans. His studio and yard are filled with painted signs, sculptures made from found objects, and folk art using recycled materials. Bottle caps, driftwood, old signs, discarded metal become art. The studio operates as both workspace and gallery. Dr. Bob is usually there working on new pieces.
Everything is for sale. Signs range from small pieces under $50 to large murals costing hundreds. The aesthetic is New Orleans folk art: bright colors, hand-lettering, humor, social commentary. The studio is easy to miss, looks like a house with art in the yard. Cash preferred. Hours irregular, usually open afternoons but call ahead. Phone: (504) 945-2225.
Jamnola, 5151 Westbank Expressway, Westbank.
Not technically in the Bywater, it’s across the river on the Westbank, but marketed as a Bywater-adjacent immersive experience. Interactive rooms celebrating New Orleans culture through Instagram-friendly installations. A room filled with oversized king cake babies. A corridor of neon saints. A crawfish boil ball pit. Each room has different themes: food, music, Mardi Gras, neighborhoods.
Visitors take photos in each installation. The experience is designed for social media but includes actual New Orleans cultural education between the photo ops. Timed entry tickets $32 adults. Takes about 90 minutes to walk through. Located in a former warehouse. Parking lot available. jamnola.com
