New Orleans’ plethora of festivals made way for the biggest art exhibition of the year this past weekend: Art for Art’s Sake. The annual festival, falling on the first Saturday of October, gives New Orleanians of all artistic backgrounds the opportunity to come together to support and interact with the art phenomena occurring within their city.

Located along Magazine and Julia streets this annual tradition brings together artists, performers, music and food into one jam-packed event for the New Orleans community. This New Orleans festival distinguishes itself from the tons of other festivals in the city through facilitating a great introduction for galleries and independent artists to work with one another.

The strong influence of art throughout New Orleans gives artists the opportunity to constantly encounter new people in their field. Galleries such as Antieau Gallery, owned by Chris Roberts-Antieau, participated in the Art for Art’s Sake festivities. Antieau Gallery features his own artistic work in fabric applique.

“Opening our space on Magazine and participating in Art for Art’s Sake was a fantastic way to make that connection with locals,” Gallery Sales Representative Lauren Donovan said. “It is a wonderful event that introduced Antieau Gallery to many local art buyers who were either unfamiliar with Chris Roberts-Antieau or didn’t know she exhibited in New Orleans.”

Art for Art’s Sake is also a way for Tulane students to explore the vibrant gallery scene here in the city.

“I loved having the opportunity to explore all the different kinds of art and decide what I liked and didn’t like as much,” freshman Maya Shaar said. “New Orleans is such a unique city with so much culture and being able to experience events like Art for Art’s Sake is just one of the perks of living here.”

Art for Art’s Sake draws an international following in the art community, but remains true to the rich artistic influences within New Orleans.