White Linen Night on Julia Street
The annual White Linen night has an honorable purpose - get people out to the CBD/Warehouse District during the super slow (and economically dangerous) summer months. Tourism and spending plummets in the New Orleans summer. It’s brutally hot so tourists and residents stay inside. White Linen was created as a way to lure people into art galleries, shops, and restaurants to try to provide a funding boost through the difficult months. The concept is simple - wear something white (linen if you have it because it’s HOT) and explore the art galleries on Julia Street. It has grown over the years….REALLY grown.
The streets are filled with people lining up to get into art galleries filled with interesting and expensive pieces made by local artists. I’ve always wondered how many pieces of art actually sell during the event - I know the price tags are beyond what I will ever be able to spend. I like White Linen more in concept than I do in reality. It’s hot and the galleries and streets are so crowded you can barely move through them. Though the galleries are air conditioned, the sheer number of people moving in and out of them means that the temperature inside the buildings is only marginally cooler than the 93+ degrees it is outside. There isn’t actually time to appreciate an artist’s work because there is a line of people behind you waiting for their turn.
It’s quite loud. In addition to the noise of thousands of humans there is also live music, DJ’s, food trucks, etc. I consider White Linen to be a sensory nightmare. The overwhelm kicks in quickly for me and I don’t feel I’m able to enjoy the artwork or the experience. The past couple of times I’ve gone I’ve had to wonder if any of us are having a good time? Everyone is a limp, wilted, sweaty, sticky mess by the end of the evening. My advice on this event, from a neurospicy perspective, is to pass. The artwork is interesting of course but you can view it with more leisure and comfort on a Saturday afternoon. This year my companions and I only went through 2-3 galleries before calling it quits and going to a nearby restaurant for air conditioning.