ART HOUSE NEW ORLEANS -- part 3

Stay like a local in the authentic Holly Grove NOLA neighborhood

Ideas for making Art House more wheelchair-accessible

For a pair of homeowners who simply want to make their Air BnB property accommodating to all, including folks with disabilities, Patricia and Ron get a grade of A.

Their work to introduce universal design/ADA access is better than some chain hotel properties -- that hire consultants, architects and contractors to be wheelchair accessible -- and that's really saying something.

To educate our gracious hosts, and all readers about some relatively inexpensive modifications, we share what it would take to make Art House 100% wheelchair-accessible:

*Replace toilet with higher, ADA compliant commode

*Make bathroom door open outward -- hinges switch would keep door from blocking wheelchair maneuverability.

*Pull up carpet and get carpenter to put in beveled edges so that both bedrooms have level access, not the inch or 2 inch rise.

*Put window AC units in both bedrooms -- or central air -- I cannot imagine 90 degree weather with 90 pct humidity and that little wall unit in the kitchen cooling off sweltering summer NOLA. Folks with MS and other disabilities cannot chance staying at a place without climate controls powerful enough to cool their sleeping quarters.

*Put small, lightweight nightstand or table next to queen bed. We know the space is narrow, but folks want to reach a bottle of water, pills, ear plugs, etc. at night. The amenity, which would serve all, will provide easy access for folks with limited mobility.

*Install a couple electrical wall outlets at 30 to 36 inches above the floor -- wheelchair users cannot reach outlets lower than that.

*Lower light switches to 36 inches above the floor -- wheelchair users cannot reach switches at regular, 4 to 5 feet above ground height. Another option would be to wire outlets for remote controls.

*Put a channel drain in the bathroom, next to the tub/shower. The transfer bench is an amazing and much-appreciated mobility devise. But it bows out the shower curtain and the floor gets wet. To avoid flooding or use of all your reserve bath towels, put in a floor drain.

*Keep being the wonderful, communicative, willing to meet everyone halfway hosts that you are. Fewer than 1% of the Air BnB listings in NOLA are truly capable of accommodating a wheelchair user. You are very good and with some modifications over time, could be super great.

ART HOUSE NEW ORLEANS -- part 2

Stay like a local in an authentic NOLA neighborhood

The hosting, cleanliness, price point, sharing photos to confirm aspects of the property, local art, and dozens of pluses make staying with Patricia and Ron a 9 out of 10 stars experience.

Sometimes, we get so positive in our reviews, people think we are a relative, friend or the owner themselves -- goosing up the reviews to bring in revenue. 

To prove we are not shills, here are a few minor minuses about Art House New Orleans:

*Apartment does not have central A/C. (Our stay was in December, so we didn't need to use the one small A/C wall unit in the kitchen.)

*Apartment has an wall-mounted gas heater that throws lots of heat in the living room and kitchen, but not much reaches the bedrooms. (A couple mobile ceramic space heaters would be a much better choice.)

*Sounds of footfalls from the owners' upstairs were rather noticeable, but they were very quiet at night.

*The Holly Grove neighborhood is rather edgy and neighbors were rather loud at times. (but did quiet down by 11 p.m. at the latest, often even earlier. A portable white noise machine for sleeping is advised.)

Again, we do not mean to be negative at all, on the overall evaluation.

The owner invested more than $100 in a portable bath bench to make for safe, comfortable use of the tub/shower by a wheelchair user.

At our request, our hosts bought us nearly $40 worth of Trader Joes groceries, etc. 

We reimbursed them, but having the fridge stocked with high quality, low cost items for breakfast and beyond meant we had more time for enjoying the city.

The second we closed the door, we were in an oasis. 

Probably half or more of the furnishings, appliances, etc. in Art House are nicer than what we have in our lovely 100-year-old home.

Bottom line, two thumbs up for Art House New Orleans.

ART HOUSE NEW ORLEANS

Stay like a local in an authentic NOLA neighborhood

The pros (there are dozens):

*Apartment was very clean, from top to bottom.

*Decorated with playful paintings and sculptures done by local artists.

*Kitchen is very large, with dishes, silverware, full-size appliances, including a dishwasher. Makes it very conStay like a local in an authentic NOLA neighborhood

The pros (there are dozens):

*Apartment was very clean, from top to bottom.

*Decorated with playful paintings and sculptures done by local artists.

*Kitchen is very large, with dishes, silverware, full-size appliances, including a dishwasher. Makes it very convenient and economical to prepare meals or heat up take-out food.

*Living room is sizable with comfy furniture and flat-screen TV.

*Bedrooms are decent size. Beds have comfy mattresses and quality linens.

*Stackable washer and dryer are excellent quality and easy to use.

*Spotless bathroom. Like cleanest we'd ever seen. Same with kitchen, common areas, etc.

*During our stay, the owner answered our texts quickly. She was warm but not overly intrusive. Her hospitality included a small decorated Christmas tree and stockings for us containing tasty snacks.

*Answered millions of our questions between booking and arrival. Put up with our nerdy requests.

*You get a full size (maybe 1,000 SF) house for less than $170 per night, fully loaded. That price would get you a 150 SF hotel, maybe, plus cost of parking and all kinds of taxes and add-ons. So this a great deal.

*Is 90% wheelchair-accessible. Very good for folks learning about accommodating wheelchair using guests. A few tweaks and it would be ADA heaven.

*A total oasis once you shut the door. Feels like your own place. Modern appliances. So nice, two people could live in this year round and not be cramped.

*Great local food suggestions from owner.

*Feels like every detail has been thought through.

*No crappy, hand me down stuff you see in a lot of rental units.

*First class pots, pans, dishes, art, spaces.

*Beds were firm and comfortable.  

*If you are diverse and interested in staying in a real neighborhood, this is your place. 

*Patricia is a joy to deal with. She answers messages in a flash. Like so fast, she's anticipating young need before you voice it in a text or email.

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART -- Part 3

ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG: FIVE FROM LOUSIANA

I share a birth date with Robert Rauschenberg and I was observing my 50th when we saw an exhibit on him at NOMA in City Park in New Orleans. 

According to a press release on the exhibit of the late Rauschenberg:

In 1977 Rauschenberg participated in the NOMA exhibition Five from Louisiana as one of five Louisiana artists who had gained international prominence. 

The artists included Lynda Benglis, Tina Girouard, Richard Landry, and Keith Sonnier. 

At the time arts advocate Luba Glade praised Five from Louisiana saying, “It answers a loud ‘Yes’ to the ever present question of whether creative people from the land of magnolias, red beans, and gumbo can make it to center stage in the great big art world…”

In Five from Louisiana Rauschenberg exhibited examples from his Hoarfrost series, and debuted a large artwork from his Spread series. 

This is the first time since 1977 that these two series have been shown together at NOMA, along with artworks by the other Louisiana artists from that seminal exhibition.

The image displayed in this blog is especially appealing to me because of the image of the Siamese cat in the center.

For a year now, we have been co-parents to Honey Bear (also known as Miuku) the beautiful and gentle Siamese cat/princess of Little Havana. 

To reach NOMA, phone:

(504) 658-4100

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART -- Part 2

EDGAR DEGAS' LITTLE DANCER AGED 14

When we visited NOMA, it was the debut day for Edgar Degas' Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.

The only three-dimensional work exhibited during his lifetime, it will be the highlight of a focus exhibition that runs at the museum till March 1, 2015.

A selection of related works of art by Degas from NOMA's permanent collection will be displayed alongside the Little Dancer, including a pastel, a smaller bronze sculpture, and drawings and prints of one of Degas' favored subjects-the dancer. 

The exhibit was very easy for a wheelchair user to view.  

All displays feature views that are unobstructed for wheelers.

According to a NOMA press release:

Degas modeled Little Dancer Aged Fourteen out of colored wax in 1880, but it wasn't until 1922 when the Little Dancer and the other sculptures found in the artist's studio were cast posthumously by the Hébrard foundry at the request of the artist's nieces and nephew. 

The bronze on view is one of 23 known bronze versions of the Little Dancer, and is in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). 

Now considered one of Degas' most important works, his sculpture of Marie van Goethem, a young novice at the Paris Opera Ballet, caused a sensation at the 1881 impressionist exhibition in Paris. 

Originally exhibited like an anthropological specimen under a vitrine, and embellished with a muslin tutu, linen bodice, ballet slippers, and a real hair wig tied with a satin ribbon, this wax sculpture of a novice ballerina or "rat" standing in relaxed fourth position was described by critics as "ugly" and "a threat to society."

The bronze version also feature a fabric tutu and satin ribbon. 

The realistic treatment of her face and the use of unorthodox materials highlighted his desire for naturalism as an artistic standard rather than idealization.

NOMA is at One Collins Diboll Circle, City Park.   Admission is $10.

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

THE GEM OF CITY PARK

New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses nearly 40,000 art objects encompassing 4,000 years of world art. 

The entrance for wheelchair users is on the right hand side (you can see the rails for the ramp on in the above image.)

Elevators provide access to each floor of art on display.

The wheelchair-accessible street cars on the Canal Street Line marked City Park stop at the grand boulevard leading up to NOMA -- it's the last stop on the line.

It's about a 10 minute walk from the street car stop to the museum.

It's also about a 10 minute walk the other direction -- into Bayou St. John -- to visit the large and historic St. Louis #1 Cemetery.

City Park, with 1,300 acres, is the 6th-largest and 7th-most-visited urban public park in the United States. City Park is approximately 50% larger than New York's Central Park.

Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing temporary exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s 46 galleries Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features work by over 60 artists, including several of the 20th century’s master sculptors. 

 www.noma.org