An up-close-and-personal look at the arty party that is Mardi Gras

Posted on: October 23rd, 2014

By Michelle Matthews
Al.com

The artistic effort behind Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebration is an essential part of Carnival. Without the creative, behind-the-scenes planning and execution, there would be no floats, no parades, no balls, no pageantry, no spectacle.

And yet there’s often no time to examine the art: a papier mache float passes by, is admired, then disappears. The sparkle of a king’s crown, the product of painstaking effort, catches the eye for just a moment. A million little details make Mardi Gras what it is, but those details often can’t be appreciated as the fun and frivolity unfolds.

That’s part of the beauty of “The Art and Design of Mardi Gras,” the exhibition being installed at the Mobile Museum of Art in Langan Park. It gives viewers an opportunity to slow Mardi Gras almost to a halt, to savor the sights and sounds that can be so fleeting. Read full article on al.com>>