NEW ORLEANS — Due to the forecast for inclement weather, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) has rescheduled Open Studio 2026 to Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 3.
NOCCA apologizes to prospective students, families, educators, and community members who made plans to attend this weekend. The safety of NOCCA’s students, faculty, staff, and guests remains a priority, and the NOCCA community looks forward to welcoming visitors to campus on the new date.
For young people who are always writing, drawing, dancing, performing, making music, filming, designing, building, or creating, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) offers a place to turn that creativity into something more.
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon, NOCCA will open its doors for Open Studio 2026, a free community event inviting prospective students, families, educators, and the public to explore the school’s campus and connect with the NOCCA Community.
Open Studio is an opportunity for young artists to discover where they might belong at NOCCA. Guests can tour the campus, step inside NOCCA’s studios and creative spaces, meet professional artist-instructors, learn about applications and auditions, and experience the work being created by current NOCCA students.
Throughout the morning, guests can also catch student performances across campus, offering a glimpse into the creativity, training, and artistic community that are part of the NOCCA experience.
“Open Studio is a celebration of the creativity that already exists within young people,” said Silas Cooper, President & CEO. “Sometimes a student just needs to see another young artist on stage, hear the music coming from a studio, or walk into a creative space and realize, ‘I can see myself here.’ Visiting the NOCCA campus gives families a chance to experience that spark firsthand.”
Guests will have an opportunity to explore NOCCA’s arts disciplines:
Classical Instrumental • Creative Writing • Culinary Arts • Dance • Entertainment Production Design • Jazz • Media Arts • Theatre Arts • Visual Arts • Vocal Music
NOCCA provides tuition-free, pre-professional arts training to students from across Louisiana. Through a strong artistic foundation, professional training, and thoughtful critique, students develop their individual artistic voices while building the skills and discipline needed for college, careers, and life beyond the classroom.
Whether a student already knows exactly what they want to pursue or is just beginning to discover their creative interests, Open Studio is a chance to see what is possible at NOCCA.
Open Studio 2026
Saturday, November 7, 2026
9 a.m. – Noon
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
2800 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit NOCCA’s website or follow @NOCCA.nola on social media.
About NOCCA
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts is Louisiana’s arts conservatory for high school students. NOCCA offers students from across the state tuition-free arts instruction in Culinary Arts, Creative Writing, Dance, Media Arts (Filmmaking and Audio Production), Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and academics. For more information, please visit www.NOCCA.com.