Adore A-List 2021

-LIST A THE

2021's MOST INFLUENTIAL NEW ORLEANIANS

By k at y danos & m i cha e l a b e chl e r | photos by chr i s gr ang e r

W e've been working on our annual A-List issue for several months now. Getting to know such a diverse and inspirational roster of entrepreneurs, creatives, and influencers is always exciting. In reading this year's interviews, an overwhelmingly common thread appeared immediately in each and every set of responses. It's impossible to miss. Though phrased in many different ways from a multitude of perspectives, vantage points, and life experiences, it all comes down to an unrivaled love for the people of New

Orleans. One after another, I read about our "DNA," our "greatest asset," and "our soul." It makes sense. We've had quite a year of introspection and simplification brought on by the pandemic; we've spent more time with family and neighbors in our parks, on our bikes, and in our streets. I know that if we had posed similar questions post-Ida to this group of leaders and innovators, their voices would be even louder. Indeed, we are resilient, we are tenacious, we are kind, and we are compassionate. We are New Orleans and we will build back brighter and better!

REBECCA REBOUCHÉ ABITA SPRINGS & HOLY CROSS ARTIST & PAINTER

Why in New Orleans? New Orleans feels like a loophole in the natural order of the universe. It feels like a place that is a portal to another place. And to make art you need to be in a place with that kind of possibility. What about New Orleans inspires you? I love how Nola has this sort of refusal to be tamed. She's a wild beast. Something about New Orleans that can always put you in a good mood. A snowball, a swimming pool in summer, a good thunderstorm when I have nowhere to be, marching bands practicing for parades.

22

ADORE • A-LIST 2021