Studio Be

The city of New Orleans doesn’t only attract artists. It creates artists. Like homegrown, Brandon “Bmike” Odums. 

You can find Bmike’s murals all over his native city and in other places like Palestine, Times Square, and even in Arizona on an Apache Reservation.

He’s collaborated with companies like Nike, Cadillac, Red Bull, Southern Comfort, and my favorite…

He also created this book cover.

Brandon “Bmike” Odums is kind of a big deal. 

Recently, I visited his 35,000-square-foot studio and gallery in the Bywater neighborhood: Studio Be.

After graduating from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Bmike started working as a filmmaker and graffiti artist.

Like many graffiti artists, his work is rooted in activism.  

Bmike doesn’t use his voice 

a fist, or a pen

to express his opinion, dissent, and protest. 

He uses a can of spray paint.

His work carries a message, 

but also hope

and pride.  

Walking through his studio and gallery, I couldn’t help but notice his use of the crown as a recurring symbol. The crown symbolizes authority, tradition, legitimacy, and power. Its biblical references include the crown of life: given for enduring under trial. 

I don’t know what his intention is in using that symbol. Maybe some of that? Or none of that? But I’ll surely ask if I run into him in my new city. I’ll also tell him that his use of the crown reminds me of another graffiti artist I admire (and recently wrote about): Jean Michel Basquiat. Who, likewise, used the symbol of the crown. 

Perhaps Basquiat was one of his influences?

On the half-hour walk back to the French Quarter, I thought about how we are all products of our experiences and influences. I left Bmike’s gallery grateful for the experience and wondered how looking through his lens may influence mine. 

Because isn’t that one of the goals of art?

Especially protest art.

P.S. When I visited, there was a temporary exhibit showcasing local school artists. Bmike sent canvases to schools throughout New Orleans, invited budding artists to submit their work, and then hung the artwork in his gallery. 

A good use of some of that 35,000 square feet, if you ask me.