The article highlights two must-see photography exhibitions in New Orleans this May. The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents "Less is More: The Photography of Steve Rapport," which opened April 21 and combines Rapport's earlier rock 'n' roll photography with new, emotionally charged portraits made since he moved to New Orleans—the first time both bodies of work are shown together. Meanwhile, the Ogden Museum is hosting "Herman Leonard: Images of Jazz" (through July 12), featuring the legendary photographer's iconic images of jazz musicians from the bebop and cool jazz eras, including a print of Ella Fitzgerald. Leonard lived in New Orleans later in life, and the Ogden Museum protected his negative archive during Hurricane Katrina.
These exhibitions matter because they showcase how New Orleans' visual art scene is as vibrant as its famous food and music culture, drawing on the city's deep jazz heritage and its role as a home for major photographers. The Steve Rapport show highlights a local artist's return and the community effort needed to mount such a presentation, while the Herman Leonard exhibition underscores the Ogden Museum's crucial role in preserving cultural history during disaster. Together, they affirm New Orleans as a significant hub for photography and visual storytelling, not just music and cuisine.