Second Line in the Sky
New Orleans French Quarter
Client: FQLI, LLC
Role: Public Realm Consulting, Lighting Design
Scope: Visioning, Creative Direction, and Implementation of a temporary art and lighting display to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack of January 1, 2025.
Status: Complete 2025
Size: 36,000 sf; 0.85 acres
Collaborators: Katy Casbarian, Babette Beaullieu, Jan Gilbert, Margaret Crosby, Marais Consultants, MaxiLED, Lumentender, Curtis Stout, All Star Electric
Following the January 1 attack in 2025, the 100–300 blocks of Bourbon Street were transformed into a temporary memorial titled Second Line in the Sky, reimagining the French Quarter as a luminous place for reflection, remembrance, and renewal.
Studio West partnered with Katy Casbarian of Arnaud’s Restaurant and a small group of multidisciplinary artists—Babette Beaullieu, Margaret Crosby, and Jan Gilbert—to bring the project to life. Conceptualized by Casbarian and produced by Jennie West and Jason Richards of Studio West beginning in early 2025, the installation marked the first public memorial since the tragedy, embracing the city’s creativity, resilience, and capacity for joy. Second Line in the Sky will be unveiled during a public lighting ceremony on December 1, 2025, and will remain on view through January 18, 2026.
Beaullieu, Crosby, and Gilbert—recent curator of the city’s 300th anniversary—were commissioned to create the prayer flags that form the centerpiece of the memorial. Local photographers Judy Cooper and Jamell Tate documented the project, capturing its luminous and communal spirit.
Anchored in New Orleans’ second line tradition—a procession that balances celebration with mourning—the installation honors the intensity, pain, and memory of the events of January 1. Nearly 1,000 double-sided flags suspend across twenty-one buildings, forming a glowing canopy that encourages visitors to look up, pause, and reflect.
Rendered in soft gradients of red, pink, and orange, each flag carries photographs, handwritten messages, survivor testimonies, and family notes. The warm tones juxtapose the cool blues of the winter sky, creating a contemplative realm that holds the emotional in-betweens: sudden loss, shared grief, and the quiet emergence of hope. Crosby and Gilbert layered additional artistic gestures onto the ensemble, transforming individual memories into a multisensory composition that bridges personal reflection with collective expression.
The installation further celebrates Bourbon Street’s cultural spirit through illuminated trumpets, umbrellas, mesh “music” lighting, and handkerchief motifs by Studio West. These elements echo the city’s creativity and resilience, weaving the memorial into the rhythm and visual language of New Orleans’ holiday season.
Studio West managed the project from concept to installation, overseeing planning, coordination, and technical execution while supporting the artists’ vision and community engagement throughout. Fully funded through private and nonprofit contributions—and made possible by strong community support—the memorial transforms loss into a gesture of hope, honoring those remembered and the enduring spirit of New Orleans..
For more information, visit the project website https://secondlineinthesky.com/
Sponsors :
Grand Marshal / Allstar Electric • New Orleans & Company • New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center • French Quarter Management District First Line / Casbarian Family • Gayle Benson and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation • John Paul and Erin Hymel • LCMC Health • Love One Louisiana Foundation • Ochsner Health • Studio West Second Line / Auto-Chlor • Boysie Bollinger • Downtown Development District • First Horizon Bank • Louisiana Restaurant Association Brass Band / Galatoire Foundation • Gallagher Insurance • Hancock Whitney Bank • Motwani Family • Deutsch Kerrigan • Chris Young Second Line Dancers / CCI Productions • Curtis Stout • Dickie Brennan & Company • Jeff Jenkins • Marais Consultants • Monteleone Hotel • Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group • Royal Sonesta Hotel • Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits
