NEW ORLEANS – The Greater New Orleans Social Arts Network (GNOSAN) will present the inaugural chalMET Gala on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 6–11 p.m. at the Foundation Room at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St. (VIP hour 6-7 p.m. with free champagne and food). Inspired by New York City’s Met Gala but created with an unmistakably New Orleans spirit, organizers share that the chalMET Gala will celebrate the city’s extraordinary costume designers, wearable artists, makers, and creative community. (Bottomless Champagne all night for all attendees).
Costuming is woven into the fabric of New Orleans culture. From Mardi Gras and Carnival krewes to festivals, parades, balls, performances, and neighborhood costume parties, New Orleanians don’t simply attend the spectacle, they become part of it. Yet despite the enormous role costume artists play in shaping the visual identity of the city, there are few occasions dedicated specifically to celebrating their artistry.
The chalMET Gala aims to change that.
“We live in a city where dressing up is practically a civic duty,” said Ingrid Victoria Ruth Anderson, founder of GNOSAN and the chalMET Gala. “We have this incredible community of people who sew, sculpt, paint, build, bead, embellish, style, and transform themselves and others into living works of art. We celebrate so many aspects of New Orleans culture, and it’s due time we give our costume artists that same spotlight.”
Guests are encouraged to arrive in their most imaginative costumes, wearable art, and creative interpretations of gala attire, making the audience part of the spectacle itself. The evening will bring together artists, patrons, community members, and supporters for a distinctly New Orleans celebration of creative expression.
The chalMET Gala will become an annual fundraising event benefiting GNOSAN and its year-round arts initiatives, including the organization’s work to create opportunities for artists and advocate for artists being paid a living wage for their creative labor.
The inaugural chalMET Gala takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, from 7–11 p.m. at the Foundation Room at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., New Orleans. Tickets will be available in advance only, with no door sales.