Photo: Jeremy Tauriac
New Orleans is a place of incredible culture. There are well-known locales like the French Quarter, but the soulful city has even more areas to explore. Venturing off the beaten path allows you to enjoy and appreciate all that The Big Easy has to offer. Studio BE is one such place. Established in 2016, it’s a destination for art and culture lovers. The massive warehouse space showcases the work of local creative Brandon “BMIKE” Odums. He creates large-scale murals and paintings that illustrate Black culture in New Orleans as depicted through portraiture, art installations, and more. It’s a unique studio that you can’t miss when walking by; it has a giant mural of a young girl painted across the building with her arms open. It’s as if she’s saying, “This is the place.”
Studio BE is located in the Bywater neighborhood, a 15-minute walk east of the famous French Quarter. It is part of the arts nonprofit Eternal Seeds, which was developed by and for artists in New Orleans and provides young and emerging creatives with the tools they need to “become the revolutionary leaders and shapers of a more just, equitable, and artful world.” Eternal Seeds produces community murals in Studio BE and with hosting thoughtful exhibitions in space.
Anyone can visit StudioBE to witness the art and messages shared. You can purchase tickets through its website for a self-guided tour. Alternatively, the Studio BE team offers guided tours that share the history of the space, the story of Odums, and how historical figures seen at Studio BE influence their lives today.
Studio BE was established in 2016 and is a destination for art and culture lovers in New Orleans.
Photo: Justen Williams
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
The massive warehouse space showcases the work of local creative Brandon “BMIKE” Odums.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
He creates large-scale murals and paintings that illustrate Black culture in New Orleans as depicted through portraiture, art installations, and more.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Studio BE is located in the Bywater neighborhood, a 15-minute walk east of the famous French Quarter.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
It is part of the arts nonprofit Eternal Seeds, which provides young and emerging creatives with the tools they need to “become the revolutionary leaders and shapers of a more just, equitable, and artful world.”
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Eternal Seeds produces community murals in Studio BE and with hosting thoughtful exhibitions in space.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met