Musicbox Village 2015-2023

The Music Box Village is a place where play, imagination, experimentation, collaboration, community and hard work come together as a whimsical village of artist-made interactive “musical houses.” Each installation is inspired by the unique musical and architectural culture of our home city of New Orleans, and represents a collaborative process between artists based here and abroad. Our one-of-a-kind art site hosts intensive artist residencies, performances, panels, and welcomes visitors for exploration and play. In 2010, five years after Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath devastated the city of New Orleans, a collapsing Creole cottage on Piety Street in the Bywater, owned by New Orleans Airlift co-founder Jay Pennington (aka Rusty Lazer), became the catalyst for a grand experiment in "musical architecture." Pennington imagined the space could be transformed into a headquarters for Airlift as well as a performance venue. He placed the project into the hands of artist and Airlift co-founder Delaney Martin, sound artist Taylor Lee Shepherd, and visiting installation artist Swoon.