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For more than 30 years New Orleans artist Jamar Pierre has been creating murals, none has compared to the scope of the project he is working on now. His current undertaking, known formally as the “Tchoupitoulas Art Corridor,” reflects a lifetime of his work in visual arts, arts education and community service. Pierre is turning a mile-plus section of the Mississippi River floodwall into a sequential mural showcasing New Orleans history. 

 As our interview began, Pierre had just received good news in the mail. His application to create a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization had just been approved, and he was thrilled. “It was the Ella Project that helped me file the paperwork, and made the process a smooth one,” Pierre said. This legal assistance is just the latest in a list that Pierre has counted on over the years from Ella.

 In 2017, Pierre came up with the idea of a mural on the concrete floodwall that runs along Tchoupitoulas Street. It is such a large undertaking that everyone discouraged him. Then he met with Ashlye Keaton and Gene Meneray of the Ella Project. “I didn’t want to give up!