How Ceaux’s Carnival poster series reflects the Black Mardi Gras experience

Every year since 2016, New Orleans-born-and-raised multimedia artist Courtney “Ceaux” Buckley, of Axiom Gallery on Freret Street, has been painting vibrant and detailed posters that depict the Black Mardi Gras experience. Through this annual poster series, Buckley said, he not only aims to provide a representation of the Black experience during Carnival season, but that he also intends to normalize it. “I don’t think we should always be presented like a big deal,” he said. “These things go on all the time, every year, it’s recurring.”

He adds that it is important for Black people from New Orleans to see representations of their culture in this more generalized way opposed to only packaged news stories and documentaries. Inspiration and communal Black experiences

Buckley said that the poster series was inspired by childhood photos lost in the levee failures after Hurricane Katrina.

Former Nyx members file class action against the krewe and its captain

On what would have been Nyx Wednesday, five former members of the Mystic Krewe of Nyx instead petitioned for a class action against the krewe, its captain Julie Lea, her husband Chris Lea and related organizations. The lawsuit seeks a class action certification for all former and current Nyx members since 2016 who suffered economic damages in connection with the krewe, whose signature throw is glittery purse. The krewe has boasted of having more than 3,000 members. The complaint describes Lea’s financial dealings on behalf of the all-female superkrewe, alleging, for example, that she forced members to pay for tips and other expenses in cash and apparently pocketed the money. It details credit card charges uncovered by Fox 8’s Lee Zurik and states the krewe paid for a New Orleans pied-à-terre for the Leas, who live on the north shore.

Dolly Parton tribute and a king cake cartoon grace Magazine Street businesses

Scriptura and Parcels & Post have both installed storefront floats to bring the Carnival spirit to Magazine Street. And together they represent some popular images in the house float craze: oversized flowers, king cakes, alligators and Dolly Parton. 

Scriptura has a 25-year history at 5423 Magazine St. It started in just the front room, and gradually grew into the owners buying the building and taking over every square inch. They have their letterpress studio in the back, retail in the front and offices on the second floor. 

Scriptura’s storefront “house float” is dedicated to the country music star because of the inspiration she provided during the difficulties of last year. The year 2020 was full of personal loss for the owners of Scriptura.

Armed robbery suspect arrested after standoff near Tulane University

Police arrested Phillip Barbarinin, 24, on Monday after a dramatic standoff outside his University area home. Less than an hour after the New Orleans Police Department obtained a warrant for Barbarinin’s arrest on Monday morning, a SWAT team was called to his home in the 2100 block of Audubon Street, near South Claiborne Avenue. The standoff lasted from about 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Police had barricaded the surrounding streets. By 10:35 p.m., Barbarinin was booked into Orleans Justice Center on eight counts of armed robbery, one count of second-degree battery and three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. He remained jailed on Tuesday morning.