At the heart of this exhibition is process, an intimate look at how an iconic image like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster is fully realized.

Paul Rogers was commissioned to create the official 2026 Jazz & Heritage Festival poster, marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Louis Armstrong. This exhibition presents drawings and studies that shaped the celebrated composition. These works reveal not only Rogers’ technical mastery, but his deep engagement with New Orleans’ musical lineage.

Rogers’ works imagine Armstrong at the helm of an imagined #125 streetcar, moving through a New Orleans both remembered and reimagined. The streetcar, modeled after the historic St. Charles line, anchors the work with precision and structure. Within this framework, Rogers brings together a lineage of musicians that include Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty extending Armstrong’s influence forward, alongside Benny Jones and “Uncle” Lionel Batiste, whose roots echo the sounds that shaped him. Together, they represent a living tradition – one carried across generations, families, and streets.

We invite you to spend time with these drawings and discover the work behind the image.