ARABI, LA — A grand opening launch event for Studio Arabi, an “arts campus” that will include studios, galleries, artist residences and a theatre along the 6600 and 6700 blocks of St. Claude Ave. will take place Saturday, June 25, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public.
There will be food trucks as well as the Old Arabi Neighborhood Association serving locally brewed 40 Arpent Brewery beer. The event will also have tents to house information tables from all of the cultural organizations and businesses located in Old Arabi.
One block away, Studio Inferno will be open with an exhibition of Mitchell Gaudet's latest work. The Valiant Theater & Lounge, now under construction, will be open for a sneak peek.
The Meraux Foundation acquired the properties as a public interest project and is leasing them to Mitchell and Erica Gaudet, who will operate them as the master tenant and sublease spaces to artists and arts-related businesses.
Studio Arabi is strategically positioned within the newly designated Old Arabi Cultural District, a state-certified Cultural District.
“Erica and I are excited to see that Studio Arabi is already filling with artists, and we are grateful to the Meraux Foundation for assembling the properties to jumpstart and instantly scale the concept,” said Mitchell Gaudet. “Studio Arabi is a win-win-win for local residents, for artists, and for art lovers.”
Mitchell Gaudet first opened his glass studio, Studio Inferno, nearly 25 years ago in the New Orleans Bywater neighborhood. He was amongst the first professional artists to locate to the neighborhood, which has since blossomed into a thriving arts community. Erica Gaudet was one of the first professional artists to set up shop in the Bayou St. John area with her studio complex more than 20 years ago. In 2014, Erica and Mitchell relocated their studios to Arabi, and they are working to position the St. Bernard neighborhood as the next emerging arts hub.
Mitchell Gaudet will continue to operate Studio Inferno in what was once the Arabi Theatre. An industrial warehouse has been renamed Studio Arabi and renovated into 12 studio spaces varying in size from 500 to 2,000 square feet. Erica Gaudet, a sculptor and furniture designer, will relocate to Studio Arabi from her current location on Mehle Street a few blocks away. She will be joined in Studio Arabi by folk artist Wendy Haines, glass blower Jim Vella, woodworkers Ed Derringer and Kiff Magor, painter Mimi Stafford, and mixed media artist Amy Newell.
An old, vacant pawn shop is currently being renovated as a theatre and upscale lounge. Named ‘The Valiant’ in honor of a large, historic crown that adorns the building, the 210 seat theatre will host a wide variety of performances, including cabaret, puppetry, musicals, plays, and more. Operated by Richard Mayer, audiences can expect to see the return of their favorite groups from Old Marquer, Mayer’s previous venture, as well as bigger, better shows in the new, larger space. It will also feature live music, including weekly blues bands. The lounge will have live piano and acoustic guitar several nights a week. Mayer is partnering with Paul Chiriaco, owner of Mag’s bar on Elysian Fields, to operate the bar.
Building upon the momentum generated by the cultural arts, SBEDF reached out to Mayer to offer a tour of the unique potential venues in St. Bernard Parish. Once committed to the new venue, SBEDF guided Mayer and Chiriaco through the permitting process.
“Attracting the Valiant to St. Bernard is a direct win for us in our efforts to grow the cultural economy. The theatre and lounge will not only create a new, regional destination, but will drive new sales and investment in the burgeoning cultural arts district,” said Andrew Jacques, the executive director of SBEDF.
Studio Arabi is located at an entrance into St. Bernard and will complement an $811,000 median beautification project currently underway along St. Claude Ave.
Spaces are still available, and anyone interested in leasing can contact Mitchell Gaudet at (504) 945-1878. The Gaudet’s plan to convert an existing sixplex apartment building into artists residences in a future phase of the development.
The St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF), the St. Bernard Parish Office of Tourism, The St. Bernard Tourist Commission, The Meraux Foundation and the Advisory Cultural Arts District Committee strive to increase awareness of the Old Arabi Cultural District by promoting cultural activity, increasing commerce, improving occupancy, creating a greater sense of community identity, and more artistic and cultural production. The arts campus is expected to serve as an anchor and ignite positive development by attracting other arts and culture related businesses to the area.
