FEATURED EXHIBITION: New Orleans From The Perspective of a British Artist

From June 6 through August 31, 2026, Wine Art Gallery will present “New Orleans From The Perspective of a British and Artist”, a featured exhibition showcasing the work of award winning British artist Jo Holdsworth.

Jo is presenting paintings in her unique London style that focuses on key landmarks of New Orleans.  We honor the history and culture of New Orleans as seen the through the eyes of a multi-talented British artist and attorney who graduated from Cambridge and is the daughter of renowned artist Jean Fletcher.

“I was thrilled to be invited to create a new series of paintings exclusively for Wine Art Gallery which reflected upon and honoured the architecture and culture of New Orleans. There are so many incredible views in this amazing city and it was a privilege to capture these in paint and in charcoal in my own unique style. 

Each of the locations which appear in the series seems to me to be iconic: the intricate iron galleries and balconies of the French quarter, the hidden courtyards and fountains, the remarkable restaurants and hotels such as Commander’s Palace and Hotel Monteleone, the historic streetcars and houses.

The city’s unique cultural landscape, blending French, Spanish, and Caribbean influences is intoxicating and it felt mesmerising to combine this with my own experience of being an artist in London and my own unique way of painting with expressive brushstrokes and bold mark making. 

My New Orleans series flowed seamlessly from my recent French series of works which was shortlisted for the Young Masters Art Prize 2025. My French series concentrated on locations in France where iconic painters throughout history had lived and worked and adopted a colour palette inspired by the Impressionists and Post Impressionists.

Edgar Degas was a towering French artist, renowned as a founder of Impressionism. He spent several months in New Orleans in the 1870s visiting his relatives and his colour palette from the 1870’s and 80’s is often defined by his use of complementary colours and strong pigments alongside his dependence on muted tones with contrasting values.

My New Orleans series adopts a similar approach and there are more pinks, orange, French ultramarine and green in these New Orleans works than I have used before, a tribute to this remarkable city and its vibrancy.”

Key images include; Hotel Monteleone, Commanders Palace, Street Car, Courtyard, Residential Architecture and French Quarter