The NOCCA Foundation and Meraux Foundation will host the 2026 ART&SOUL Gala on Saturday, May 16, bringing together some of New Orleans’ most recognizable musicians, rising young artists, and supporters of arts education for a night celebrating the city’s creative future.
The annual fundraiser will take place at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts campus at 2800 Chartres Street. This year’s theme, “Tomorrow Starts Here,” reflects the institution’s focus on building toward its next half-century after celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Guests can expect a full evening of performances, food, and interactive art experiences created by the school’s students and alumni. Musical entertainment will include sets from New Breed Brass Band and Sweet Crude, along with performances by the NOCCA All-Star Legends, a group featuring notable alumni of the school. Current NOCCA music students will also take the stage during the evening.
Food will be prepared by students and faculty from NOCCA’s culinary arts program, with contributions from several local chefs and restaurants. Throughout the evening, guests will also be able to participate in creative experiences designed and executed by students across multiple disciplines. Visual Arts students will draw live portraits for attendees, while Creative Writing students will compose improvised poetry on the spot.
In addition to the performances and culinary offerings, the gala will include a silent auction and a variety of art-focused activities designed to highlight the range of talent emerging from the school.
“ART&SOUL is a cherished opportunity to celebrate NOCCA’s many successes with our supporters and our campus family,” said Shanekah Johnson, Executive Director of the NOCCA Foundation. “As always, NOCCA students and alumni will be front and center throughout the evening, performing on stage, drawing portraits and writing poems for guests, and of course, preparing a magnificent dinner.”
Johnson added that the gala is also an opportunity to thank the broader New Orleans community for helping make the institution what she described as “the gold standard of arts education in America.”
Proceeds from the event will support the NOCCA Foundation’s programs that benefit students, faculty, alumni, and the surrounding community. Those initiatives include funding classroom materials, helping students attend prestigious summer training programs, and bringing professional artists into classrooms through its long-running Artists-in-Residence program.
Founded in 1973 and opening its doors to students in 1974, NOCCA has grown into one of the nation’s most respected arts conservatories for high school students. The tuition-free school draws students from across Louisiana and offers intensive instruction in disciplines ranging from classical and jazz music to creative writing, visual arts, theatre, dance, and culinary arts.
Its alumni list reads like a who’s who of New Orleans cultural figures. Graduates include Jon Batiste, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, and actor Wendell Pierce. Nearly all NOCCA graduates continue on to college or conservatory programs, with roughly 80 percent receiving scholarships.
The ART&SOUL Gala itself will feature multiple ticket tiers. A $250 Patron Party ticket includes early access to the evening beginning at 6 p.m., featuring a special performance by Sweet Crude and the opportunity to preview the silent auction. The main gala runs from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with $100 tickets including performances, dinner, and drinks. A limited number of $50 tickets are available for NOCCA alumni. The night concludes with an alumni after-party from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Guests are encouraged to embrace a festive “jazzy casual” dress code, with organizers suggesting summer suits, breezy dresses, or other stylish but comfortable attire in the event’s colors of blue, silver, and white.
The 2026 gala is co-chaired by Janice and Phillip Manuel, Katie and Adam Matasar, and Claire Elizabeth Thriffiley and H. Allen Johnson. Major sponsors include the Meraux Foundation, Entergy, Hancock Whitney Bank, the Holt Family Foundation, Imagine Recovery, Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, and the Sazerac/Goldring Family Foundation.
Tickets and additional information about the 2026 ART&SOUL Gala are available at ArtAndSoulNOCCA.com.
