NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA– M.S. Rau Antiques houses some of the most luxurious and breathtaking art for sale in the world. On any given visit to their gallery, you might see a Monet, Picasso, or Rembrandt. However, they are not solely in the business just to appreciate the art of the classical artists now in the grave. M.S. Rau opened their doors in 1912 and on their centennial anniversary, they decided to start Rau for Art; a competition between local high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
This year is their eighth year and over 150 students entered the contest. The art of the ten finalists hangs at M.S. Rau. On April 6th, three winners will be announced. Third place gets 15 hundred dollars and second place wins three thousand dollars. The lucky student that wins first place, wins a 7,500 dollar scholarship, or the option to apply that money for a two weeks study abroad experience in Italy.
There will be a grand luncheon at the M.S. Rau Antiques gallery on April 6th, where the three winners will be announced. If you hurry you can put on your french bourree hat, and head over there to see the art for yourself. You can also check it out here. This year’s theme was: Create to Motivate. The students were instructed to create art with the message of creating a better world.
One of the young artists, Helen Hoang, painted a well-known print of Louis Armstrong and titled it, “What a Wonderful World.” Hoang says art will always be a part of her, even when she graduates and starts her collegiate matriculation as a bio/pre-med student. She says, Louis Armstrong will be a great asset on her playlist, whenever she needs a positive feeling, saying, “the vibe that he sends… His music alone when you listen to it, it gives everyone a positive feeling in their heart. Do you feel the colors?”
Zoe Johnson is Senior Sales Coordinator and the Scholarship Chair for the Rau for Art Foundation. Johnson says she can feel the excitement of the kids when they walk through the gallery, saying, “it must be an incredible experience. I know the first time I walked in here, I was jaw-dropped and I studied art.”
Skylar Olano is a student that entered her, “Doubt Kills More Dreams than Failure Ever Will” painting. The painting is textured and has a Disney princess superimposed with a directional signpost. She says, “When you are a little girl, you always dream of being a princess. My dream now is to travel the world, so I wanted to incorporate both of them, so I did the silhouette of Cinderella.”
Olano found out her painting was sold, a few minutes before our interview and was pretty excited at her first art sale. saying that perhaps it’s the start of something new and maybe she can sell more!
All in all, art is a beautiful thing, especially when it changes lives.