Mardi Gras 2024 - A Journey Through Time

  "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" Discover the inspiration behind the "Journey Through Time!" With roots going back to Medieval Europe, Mardi Gras made its way through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th Century to France’s royal Bourbon House.  The evidence points to 1699 as the first year Mardi Gras arrived to America.  It is believed that french explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near New Orleans on the eve of this holiday that is now celebrated by many cultures across the globe. In the spirit of the early explorer’s quest for knowledge, Alexander investigates the origins of Mardi Gras through to its present day incarnation as it’s observed across Louisiana.  The artist’s inspiration for 2024’s Mardi Gras work came from studying two key masterpieces.  Feast of the Gods by the Father of Venetian art, Giovani Bellini, is considered one of the greatest Renaissance paintings in America.  Located in Washington, D.C., it hangs in the National Gal