Art With A View: Installing Windows On Canal

New Orleans’ historic Canal Street corridor has long been a symbol of the city's vibrant energy and cultural heartbeat. Windows On Canal, a recent collaboration between Celebrate Canal! Coalition and Where Y’Art Works, was designed to breathe new life into this once-bustling streetscape. The public art project’s mission involved transforming storefronts along Canal into immersive art displays, not only reimagining urban revitalization but also championing the artists, heritage, and ecological consciousness of New Orleans.

While it’s one thing to see the art from a pedestrian’s vantage point, there’s one point of view that only a lucky few will ever have. For the team tasked with installing these large-scale artworks, the real story unfolded high above street level—and often in the face of unexpected challenges. For those who couldn’t be part of the install, we thought it only fair to let you in on the adventure, too!

The Process

Every project has to start somewhere, and our connection to Windows On Canal started in the Downtown FabWorks shop at 2800 N. Johnson St. in New Orleans. As a partner in the process, Downtown FabWorks worked with Where Y’Art Works and Celebrate Canal! to make sure each artist had a strong, safe, and durable “canvas” (in this case, medium-density fiberboard, or MDF) cut exactly to the shape their artwork required.

To do this, the artists’ artwork was sent to us in digital files. Our technical design team translated the art files into CNC-compatible files that could instruct our CNC machines how to accurately cut the designs. These were huge artworks, so they couldn’t be cut in one solid piece of MDF. Instead, each work consisted of many pieces that were cut out, then assembled like a giant puzzle.

Once assembled, the cutouts went back to their respective artists to become art. After each artist had applied their creative finishes, the final artworks came back to our facility, where our team carefully prepared them to take their places on some of the city's most iconic façades. Participating locations and artists included:

Each piece celebrated the city's ecosystem and all featured New Orleans’ beloved escape dog, Scrim—a unifying figure in the displays. Local photographer David NOLA documented Canal Street’s reaction to this art; for more beautiful photos, check him out on Instagram at @DavidNOLA.)

On-the-Spot Solutions

While the art itself was stunning, for us, the fun part lay in the installation methodology, which had to be largely invented on-site. Enter Ian Cook, Project Lead at Downtown FabWorks, who found himself at the helm of the installation process. With a lean crew of three installers (a rotating crew that included Fro, Jeremy, Greg, Russ, Cosy, and Andy) plus himself working 10- to 12-hour days, the team tackled the complex task of mounting six unique pieces of artwork on prominent buildings along Canal Street.

The team worked with a variety of materials—wood, metal, compression feet, tension wires, and assorted hardware—all while navigating site-specific architectural nuances.

One factor no one could control was the wind. Canal Street is known for its breezy corridor effect, intensified by drafts from the nearby Mississippi River. At 40 feet up, the wind became a formidable adversary. “Some of the pieces actually started waving with a lack of support,” Ian noted. The solution? Real-time problem-solving, including added tension wires and discreet stabilizers, all implemented mid-install.

As is always the case on an installation, safety was paramount. The team devised ways to secure the artwork without damaging historic building features or endangering pedestrians or themselves. A standard part of the process was placing foam between the art and the structure, ensuring both aesthetic and structural integrity.

Of course, working in an urban environment came with its own colorful challenges. Cones and caution tape were deployed daily, but Canal Street can be unpredictable. “There are always daredevils who hop the tape,” Ian laughed, recalling how the team occasionally had to usher would-be explorers away from the work zone.

When Life Gives You Lemons…

One of the unexpected perks of the job was exclusive access to parts of Canal Street most people never get to see. At the Saenger Theatre, the team found themselves behind the iconic marquee, discovering an Italian Baroque-style private balcony—a hidden architectural gem from the building’s early 20th-century origins. “I had never been into the Saenger before,” Ian said. “Getting to explore that area was particularly special.”

Canal Place, on the other hand, offered a very different experience. The steel-and-glass tower reflected sunlight intensely, making visibility a challenge. Fortunately, a consistent breeze often helped to regulate the temperature. Here, team veterans Greg and Fro—both seasoned boom lift operators—put their skills to work. Precision mattered, as the lift’s balance and positioning were critical for reaching exact installation points without error.

Between technical hurdles and long hours, the team also found time to appreciate the surreal and amusing moments that only a job like this could produce. Case in point? A seemingly immortal lemon.

“We first saw it on a site visit,” Ian recalls. “Then we came back a week later—and it hadn’t changed at all.” What did the ever-practical project lead do? “I took it home and used it.”

A Lasting Impression

Interactions the team had while working underscored the project’s public appeal and its potential to inspire further artistic contribution to New Orleans’ evolving landscape. Curious onlookers frequently stopped to ask questions. “Is this one artist or many?” they’d ask—often following up with, “I’m an artist too. Who do I talk to about submitting for next time?”

While the Windows on Canal project brings beauty and meaning to the surface of Canal Street, it’s the hidden labor, creativity, and improvisational genius of Ian and his team that made it possible. This job could easily be overlooked as “just” mounting art, but it was far more complex than that, and we hope that the job our team completed will have a lasting effect in the conversation about honoring our community’s past while building a bright future.

Need a team who can not only build your vision, but install it seamlessly from start to finish? Windows on Canal is just the latest of many successful installations, and we bring that same level of care and skill to every project we touch. Let’s bring your next idea to life, all the way through to the final bolt. Contact us today to get started.