Vibrant, Mysterious and Joyful: The Mardi Gras Art of Tony Green

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	Top to bottom: Tony Green at work on a mural; Painting of flambeaux at Mardi Gras; Painting of Mardi Gras Indians

Although local New Orleans artist Tony Green was born in Italy, some of his earliest and most cherished memories revolve around the New Orleans Carnival season. Those memories fostered a love of Mardi Gras so deep that it serves as a constant inspiration for Green’s work. All of the vibrancy, mystery and joy associated with the city’s numerous traditions will be on display in one place when the Louisiana State Museum unveils The Mardi Gras Art of Tony Green at the Presbytere on January 13, 2005.

Included in the exhibit are over twenty of Green’s oil paintings, watercolors and ink sketches. Also included in the show are several limited-edition posters created for the Krewe of Orpheus, Le Krewe d’Etat and Rex.

When asked about the roots of his love for Carnival, Green says, “Mardi Gras has long been a part of my life ever since I was a child growing up in New Orleans. At the very tender age of seven, I was a tuxedoed young prince (along with my lovely princess) emblazoned with my Dad’s World War II medals as part of the St. Anthony School Carnival tableau.”

Green’s art illustrates and explores the different traditions of Mardi Gras from flambeau carriers to formal society balls, and complements the Presbytere’s permanent exhibit Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana.

The Mardi Gras Art of Tony Green will be on display at the Louisiana State Museum Presbytere at 751 Chartres Street, New Orleans, from January 13-November 20, 2005. For more information, please call 504-568-6968 or 800-568-6968 or visit http://lsm.crt.state.la.us.