Louisiana Travel Guide - 2026
Meet the Makers
2026-02-18 07:19:07
DISCOVER LOUISIANA’S ARTISTS, CRAFTSPEOPLE & CULTURE-BEARERS
Find Louisiana’s artistry threaded through the beads of a Mardi Gras Indian suit, woven into Chitimacha baskets and painted on weathered cypress roots known as “knees.” To truly experience the state, meet the makers who carry its culture forward.
South Louisiana
At Backstreet Cultural Museum in New Orleans, marvel at dazzling Mardi Gras Indian suits and learn about the craftspeople who honor the state’s Black and Indigenous legacies. Love Cajun and Creole culture? Explore Lafayette’s Vermilionville, a living-history museum where quilters, blacksmiths and musicians highlight heirloom practices. In Houma, experience mesmerizing basket-weaving and wood-carving demonstrations during United Houma Nation’s cultural events.
Central Louisiana
See the home of self-taught folk artist Clementine Hunter — as well as her vibrant, larger-than-life paintings — at Melrose on the Cane in Natchitoches. At TunicaBiloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center in Marksville, explore contemporary Native American crafts alongside ancient traditions. Love contemporary art? Swing by River Oaks Square Arts Center in Alexandria, where artists share their creations and instruct workshops.
North Louisiana
Meet modern and heritage crafters in Shreveport Common, a historical, nine-block neighborhood where exhibits and installations explore themes like placemaking, community and sustainability. At Masur Museum of Art, housed inside a 1920s Tudor mansion in Monroe, gaze at works by brilliant Louisiana artists and international greats like Salvador Dalí.
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