The Louisiana State Museum celebrates the acquisition of original watercolor sketches by two Carnival costume designers: Helen Clark Warren and John Scheffler. These drawings give a glimpse into the history of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras traditions and illuminate a connection with the fashion and theater worlds of New York.

Warren, who was born in Massachusetts and worked in New York as a fashion designer, worked with a local dress shop throughout the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s to execute elaborate gowns for a number of Mardi Gras krewes. Alongside Warren’s sketches, the exhibition also presents an original costume worn by the Queen of the Mistick Krewe of Comus in 1939 and photographic documentation of the ball.

New Orleans-born Scheffler started designing costumes in high school and gave up a career in architecture in 1965 to move to New York to work as a costume and set designer. His collection of over 3000 Carnival costume sketches was bequeathed to the Louisiana State Museum at the time of his death in 2012.

“From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: Two Carnival Artists” is on view through December 4, 2016. The Louisiana State Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am - 4:30 pm.

This listing was originally published as our Exhibition Pick for the week of October 12, 2015. Check the Art Review for our current Exhibition Picks.