"9 WOMEN"

Pratt Institute-trained New Orleans artist Morrah B.E.'s work "examines Southern culture, the contradictions of American history, and the complexities of the Black experience in the American South." In early 2026 Morrah partnered with BMike Odums' nonprofit, Eternal Seeds, to paint this work for the new Krewe of Muses den on S. Claiborne Ave. Morrah's composition features a few of the women who shaped New Orleans: Irma Thomas, Henriette DeLille, Leah Chase, Mahalia Jackson, Oretha Castle Haley, Doris Jean Castle, Dorothy Mae Taylor, and Sylvanie Williams. In the center of the festive arrangement is a Congo Square dancer, highlighting how much of New Orleans culture was shaped by African American influences. Assisting Morrah in painting this scene were Cierra Wyche (@cherrybombcee) and Sarah Roberts (@ sraaahr).