Arts & Culture

When the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that separate black and white schools were unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education, it seemed desegregation was close at hand. But it took six years before the New Orleans school system was integrated. In the fall of 1960, Leona Tate — then only 6 years old — was one of four young black girls escorted through a crowd of protestors.

This week on Inside the Arts, jazz vocalist Anais St. John brings back the disco era with Last Dance: A Tribute to Donna Summer. St. John talks with us about her high energy performance. 

Then, we kick off the cultural season with a one-night-only arts happy hour. More than five dozen organizations are involved in the arts celebration known as Culture Collision. And, we round out with conversation with highly acclaimed drummer Herlin Riley. Airs Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:35 a.m.

Coming up on Inside the Arts, Nine Lives: A Musical Witness of New Orleans commemorates the 9th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina at Le Petit Theatre. We talk with guitarist Paul Sanchez.

 In the Marigny... Tracy Letts' dark comedy, BUG, continues to make audiences squirm. And, we talk with jazz singer Cindy Scott. Her new CD, Historia, is garnering widespread critical acclaim. Airs Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:35 a.m.

When he started working at the family business in the late 1940’s, Sydney Besthoff III had no intention of becoming K&B Drugstore’s lead man. Over the course of the next 20 years, Sydney worked in every aspect of the business and became general manager. He expanded the company along the Gulf Coast throughout the 70’s and 80’s then sold the beloved chain in 1997. There was a local outcry — after all, K&B had been in New Orleans since 1905.

This week on Inside the Arts,  girl talk, pillow fights and pranks close out the summer season of Crescent City Lights Youth Theater with the musical Sleepover.

Then,  a new radio style action/adventure comedy from writer Ren French, Saints and Sisters: Nuns with Guns in Old New Orleans. This live radio stage drama, presented by Second Star Performance Collective, is set in the Ursuline Convent in 1930s New Orleans.

And, we round out with a uniquely New Orleans way to teach music: The Root Progression Method.

What makes Southern food what it is? Why is it becoming such a national restaurant trend? Why do they serve all the cocktails in Mason jars?

Bring Your Own is a nomadic storytelling series that takes place in living rooms, backyards and other intimate spaces within the community. Each month, seven storytellers have 7 minutes to respond to a theme. BYO airs on All Things New Orleans and is a biweekly podcast on WWNO.org.

This week on Inside the Arts, an arts stroll in the French Quarter billed as one hot ticket, Dirty Linen Night, gets underway this weekend. We catch up with artist Jane Talton as she talks about her exhibit, Beastly Delights, at The Foundation Gallery.

And, across town the St. Claude Arts District is in full swing. We catch up with Sharla Hammond, an up and coming muralist from Houston, who will be making her New Orleans debut on a rather large scale. Hammond joins bassist James Singleton for an art experience at LA46.

Head into the cool, dark spaces so nice in the summertime: movie theaters. Henry Griffin, our regular guest, joins Eve Troeh in the WWNO studios to give a few cinematic happenings for the month of August.

Satchmo Summer Fest includes screenings of Louis Armstrong film and TV clips, called "Cinematic Satch," playing August 1-3 at the US Mint. More on that and the full festival schedule right here.

This week on Inside the Arts, we talk with critically acclaimed jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and arranger Wycliffe Gordon. He's back for an encore performance as Satchmo SummerFest kicks off this weekend.

Then, the exhibition Mark of the Feminine kicks off the 20th Anniversary of White Linen Night at the Contemporary Arts Center.

And, we round out with a timeless musical as Cabaret caps off the 47th season of Summer Lyric Theater at Tulane.