Born in 1951, James Michalopoulos was raised in a home full of art. He began his winding route to New Orleans by way of Washington, D.C. While on the road, he began to sketch to fill the free time. Self-taught, he set up a studio at Dupont Circle. A strictly plein air painter, Michalopoulos was challenged to find a winter locale to continue his work. In 1979, he was drawn to New Orleans as the last bastion of hippie bohemian culture in America. Perhaps most importantly, it was affordable, enabling artists of all types to find a home. He began sketching artists and musicians, houses and street corners. Fascinated with the duality of beauty and decay, he made the architecture of the city his muse. His portraits of shotgun houses and Creole cottages, captured in layer upon layer of thick impasto paint, brimmed with color and energy and captured the essence of his subject.
Michalopoulos developed an abiding interest in musical imagery. His portraits represent all segments of the musical stratosphere and have been featured on the coveted New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster six times, more than any other artist in the festival’s history. During a trip to France in 1990, he fell in love with Provence and the Burgundy region. Today he divides his time between New Orleans and Burgundy.
Michalopoulos is the founder of NoRo Artist Studios—a square city block of affordable artist spaces for the next generation of New Orleans creatives—and he was an early force in the redevelopment of downtown Covington, Louisiana. As steward of the Michalopoulos Foundation, he supports expressiveness in architecture and affordable housing for emerging artists. In addition, he remains a passionate preservationist and philanthropist, supporting historic neighborhoods and a multitude of community charities.
Michalopoulos sees a great future for New Orleans as a cultural light for the 21st century. He says that Louisiana is “The State of Gratitude,” and he insists, “We can show the world how to live.” He still loves to costume for Mardi Gras.
