Kate Chertavian Fine Art, the curators of the art collection, were inspired to commission local youth artists to ensure that the Four Seasons reflected the local character and the inspirational soul of the city. In addition to fitting in harmoniously with the interior design of the hotel corridors, the artwork serves a functional purpose of orienting hotel guests to their correct corridor, as well as situating them geographically within the city outside.

The inspiration and source material for the sculpture series is the iconic ironwork featured prominently in New Orleans homes and on the historic balconies of the French Quarter. Veering away from traditional tourist narratives about the city, the designs by the youth artists explored the themes of culture, the importance of water and the Mississippi River to our way of life and economy, and the ways natural disasters have culturally and geographically shaped the city over time. Through the incredible mentorship of lead artist Rontherin Ratliff, the youth artists learned how to manipulate and weld iron.

YAM first created 52 ironwork sculptures for each of the four corridors on the 13 hotel guestroom floors (four editioned works of 13 each). The artwork created for the hotel was so well received that Kate Chertavian Fine Art commissioned YAM to create an additional 44 ironwork sculptures for the private residential side (four editioned works of 11 each). The artworks of our YAM participants are now a part of a world-class collection of locally and internationally acclaimed artists in the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans, located in the former World Trade Center in downtown New Orleans.

Artists: Rontherin Ratliff (Lead Artist Mentor), Sofia Olexia-Daigle, Jermaine Lindsey, Gabrielle Tolliver, Elijah Turk, Victoria Phan