White Linen Night reimagined as month-long event celebrating art amid coronavirus

Organizers of White Linen Night, the annual block party for art lovers, reimagine the event for 2020.

Traditionally, a sea of white fills Julia Street for free openings at several galleries and museums. Due to COVID-19, the event will transition to a month-long, hybrid event, called White Linen Light.

This year, the organization encourages art enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy art through digital auctions and safely visiting galleries in Downtown New Orleans during the month of August. The event will take place both physically in the New Orleans’ historic Warehouse Arts District and online.

The 14 contemporary art galleries and various eateries, which compose the Arts District, have safely reopened and look forward to welcoming guests back in to visit and view their current exhibitions at a safe distance. Guests are strongly encouraged to don their white linen while strolling down Julia St. to keep the spirit of White Linen Night alive.

Each gallery will also participate in two digital auctions during the month of August that will run for two weeks each. The first auction will take place from 1 August – 15 August 2020, ending at 12 pm CST. The second auction will go live at 12 pm CST on 15 August and will be open for bidding until 31 August 2020.

Art collectors and enthusiasts can view the auction items in person at each participating gallery or online at live.artsdistrictneworleans.com. The first auction will go live on 1 August 2020 at 10 a.m. CST. To participate in the auction, simply register at the online auction website and start bidding. For more information on the participating galleries, visit www.artsdistrictneworleans.com/galleries.

“White Linen Night has been part of the Arts District calendar for 26 years,” said Leslie Claire Spillman, ADNO president. “While we cannot welcome thousands of people to Julia St. to enjoy the art in our galleries this year, ADNO is excited to safely welcome guests back to the galleries for our month-long White Linen Light.”

Galleries are taking the proper precautions outlined by local and state officials. Guests will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the galleries.

Here’s the list of galleries and current exhibitions on display during White Linen Night: