Born in New Orleans in 1945, Charles Gillam is a self-taught woodcarver and mixed-media artist. Using salvaged furniture, architectural elements, and Mississippi River driftwood, Gillam fashions the likenesses of many of the city’s legendary musicians as well as vibrant scenes from its iconic jazz funerals and second line parades.
Gillam is a long-time participant at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and his art has been acquired by prominent collectors across the country. He has been featured, locally and nationally, on radio programs, television shows, and in art publications.
More about Charles
- WWNO: Community Visions Unlimited Rebuilds Neighborhoods Through Art
- Folk Art Zone & Blues Museum (short film documentary)
- NPR, “American Routes” (artist interview)
- “One Option Out of Many”: Strategies for Preserving Louisiana Folk Culture in the Twenty-first Century
- American Folk Art: A Regional Reference
