The West Baton Rouge Museum presents a new exhibition entitled Mardi Gras Indians: By J. Nash Porter. The exhibit, which runs from January 6, 2018, through February 25, 2018, features a selection of full-color photographs documenting the rich tradition of New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indians and second line groups.
J. Nash Porter was born in New Orleans and raised in an Uptown neighborhood surrounded by the sights and sounds of the urban streets. His career combines documentary and commercial photography, and photo-journalism. "Through the lens of my camera, I share with others the exciting tradition that I grew up with. Hopefully, I can ignite a spark of enthusiasm and bring about an awareness in other communities for the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians," said Porter in a past interview. Formally trained at San Francisco State University and the University of California at Berkeley, Porter owned and operated a photography studio since 1972. Although his most prolific work was with the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians, his photographic exhibits encompass an amalgam of African American blues and jazz musicians, and traditional cultures of the American South, West Africa, and the Caribbean. Porter passed away in 2007 but his images continue to captivate audiences across the globe.