New Orleans Local
Official 2014 French Quarter Festival Posters
By Varion Laurent and Simon Hardeveld
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils two 2014 French Quarter Festival Posters by artists Varion Laurent and Simon Hardeveld. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects paintings that portray the fun, festive atmosphere of French Quarter Festival that both locals and tourists will identify with. Consideration is given only to local artists. To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales, sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget. Visit www.fqfi.org/shop to purchase the limited edition 2014 French Quarter Festival posters and other official festival merchandise.
Varion Laurent
For the 2014 poster, artist Varion Laurent, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, pays homage to Grammy award-winning Dr. John, who returns this year to French Quarter Festival for the first time since 1987. In this striking painting, bold colors capture the energy of the French Quarter, a perfect backdrop for Dr. John’s charismatic persona.
In 1995, Varion graduated from St. Augustine High School. On a whim, his parents encouraged him to submit his portfolio to Xavier University’s Art Department, and it was here at Xavier where he was first formally trained as an artist. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his entire body of artwork, it took Varion nearly two years to emotionally recover and return to art. Since his decision to dive back into painting, Varion has garnered a ground swell of support. He was commissioned by the St. Augustine High School Alumni Association to create a portrait of NBA player, coach Avery Johnson; commissioned by the Gentilly neighborhood association to produce the first three posters for the annual Gentilly Festival; commissioned as the official poster artist for the 2013 Old Algiers River Festival; and in 2010, was selected by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. as the artist to produce the poster for the 10th Anniversary Satchmo SummerFest.
Editions:
2,000 Artist-signed & numbered prints, $45
350 Artist Proofs & numbered prints, $65 Poster Size 20″ x 28″
Painting Size 36″ x 48″
Simon Hardeveld
Once again French Quarter Festival features a special limited-edition poster created by New Orleans’ most well-known French folk-art painter, Simon Hardeveld. Since the early 2000s, Simon Hareveld has entertained many with his jovially phrased paintings that hang around New Orleans restaurants like Boulangerie, Chickie Wah Wah, Lola’s, and Joey K’s. Born in France and later moving to the United States to start three of his own restaurants, with wife Maria Hardeveld, Simon found his true calling to be a painter at his brasserie in Metairie when customers always wanted to buy his signs behind the counter. Most well-known for his set design work on New Orleans evening news, WGNO News with a Twist, Simon has been commissioned by restaurants, stores, locals, and tourists to create special original paintings for anniversaries, birthdays, or just home décor that captures the spirit of New Orleans. Overall, Simon’s pieces whimsically embody the unique culture of this spectacular city.
Editions:
500 Artist-signed and numbered prints, $65
Poster Size: TBD
Painting Size: 19.5″ x 38.5″ 
“I Want To Live In A Music Festival Forever” is trademarked by FQFI
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