Artists
Chesley Allen
A New Orleans artist who specializes in neoprene masks and creates a multitude of horns in various styles.
Jeannie Allen
As a New Orleans artist, her imagination is expressed through beautiful miniature masks that are as functional as they are beautiful. They are expertly crafted to be worn as pins, and each mask has a handmade complimentary stand for its display.
Lori Barrios
A native New Orleans artist who carefully hand crafts masks using her imagination, fine fabrics, and elegant braids and trims.
Chuchaa!
This mask maker was born in 1954 into a military family. She has lived in many places including Tokyo, Japan, for 6 years and now resides in Texas. She is greatly influenced by the oriental art of Kabuki Theatre and her high school mentor, Mr. Al Langren. She has worked for many years as a costume designer and mask maker and has been active in the Mardi Gras Mask Market here in New Orleans. She is also active in training others to pursue their artistic endeavors and hopes to one day establish an art colony where artists may retreat and study art.
Donna Crawford
She received her first embroidery needle and pillow case at the age of 4 and since then has always had her hands busy performing some artistic endeavor. Mask making has become her primary source of creativity. It combines her loves of sewing, painting and sculpting into a unique three dimensional mask. Growing up with New Orleans’ unique and rich culture was ideal for inspiration. Her styles range from the exotic and mysterious to the bizarre to just plain fun.
Frittworks
This New Orleans artist is self-described as a “crippled, crotchety, Chichasaw Creole who needs money for new shoes for 15 grandchildren.” Paul uses his artistic abilities to create breathtaking leather masks that give the wearer the ability to reveal ones “true self.”
Morgan Hersey
Ms. Hersey grew up in Seattle Washington, and has always been a creative person. She saw a leather mask many years ago by John Flemming, was captivated by it, and knew that was exactly what she wanted to do. She did what research she could, slowly developed her amazingly beautiful style, and has been creating masks since then. She loves the characteristics and textural aspects of leather and plans to continue creating them for many years to come.
Incognyto
She fell into mask making unintentionally after being laid off from the semiconductor industry. A friend loaned her a mask to try to duplicate. It was a fun challenge and she discovered a new creative outlet. Her masks have universal appeal. There is a beauty in their simplicity and they have a clean sleek mysterious elegance. From half masks to full-face masks, all of the masks are made from premium quality leather for excellence in appearance, durability, and are molded to a plaster head for maximum comfort.
Jeanne the Maskmaker
These masks are made through a process of her own creation. Instead of coming up with a design, making a mold of that design, and then casting several masks from the mold, she does almost the opposite. The only mod used is a mold of a human face or a wig head used on the inside, which is then sculpted into the design in her head. Each mask is sculpted by hand, even those in a numbered series, making each mask unique, with its own personality and character.
Joseph & Joseph
Their tradition and methods date back to 1978, creating handmade carnival & masquerade masks in the Italian & French traditions. They use only the finest paper mache, hand-ciked and imported Italian papers, quality fabrics, ribbons and trims from around the world. Many masks created by Joseph & Joseph are one-of-a-kind.
Masks by Kai
His unique creations, called Kai Masks, are reminiscent of fairy tale daydreams & unforgettable nightmares. Each mask is handcrafted, titled and guaranteed one-of-a-kind. Hide behind a Kai Mask and enter the dimension called fantasy.
Audrey Kim
She is the creator of incredible one-of-a-kind feather masks using only natural (not dyed) feathers. She uses an assortment of peacock, rooster, chicken & five different kinds of pheasant which allows her to create a variety of designs. No two designs are alike. She takes great care to insure that each piece is well made & designed to endure years of normal wear. Each piece also has a loop attached to the back for convenient hanging.
Colin & Victoria Mumper – Curious Masks
As modern-day mask makers, they co-create masks using felt and other natural fabrics. The twists and turns of their masks give each one a life of its own. They want people to wear their masks as they celebrate the joy of life.
Connie Trapp – Masks & Things
Shei is an Oregon artist, wife, mother and grandmother. She has been making masks for the last 11 years with her sister-in-law, master mask-maker Diane Trapp.
She has traveled to New Orleans to sell her masks at the Mardi Gras Mask Market for the last 13 years.
Diane Trapp
Her art is the exploration of emotion. It’s movement combined with character and cultural imagery to create pieces that have an immediate emotional impact on the viewer.
She has been creating masks since the late 70’s. Primarily wearable work for stage productions and Mardi Gras. Feathers, beads, rhinestones combined with fancy fabrics creating an illusionary fantasy.
Daena Ortego
A Louisiana native who is inspired by the landscape, folklore and suffocating humidity of the region. She has been fascinated by the symbolism of masks for as long as she can remember. Her masks are often named after mythological figures and Daena tends to think of her masks as actual (or actual goblins as the case may be). When she’s not up to her elbows in plaster and goblins, she is creating original fantasy artwork in watercolors as well as other fantasy-oriented items.
Cindy Ridgeway
New Orleans artist and creator of chain mail head pieces and jewelry.
Monica Roxburgh- Goblin Art
Born in New Zealand, she moved to the United States in 1987 and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. She has been making masks since 1996. While she loves creating visual art in many mediums, her current focus is mask making and sculpture. She has created and sold more than 300 masks from the internet over the past three years.
Jim Siener
This master mask maker has a unique style that sets him apart from many. He designs each mask individually using only the highest quality in feathers, sequins, rhinestones, and other adornments. Each one-of-a-kind mask is signed and numbered.
Eleta H. Shepard
Lives in Bayou Vista and Houston, Texas. Always interested in different mediums of art, she found the opportunity to make masks fascinating. Great Grandmother aka “Bayou Nana” jumped right in making everything from big masks to mini masks to micro mini masks. She gives much credit to her daughter Chuchaa, who shares the art mask making with her. Her masks are made of the finest materials – velvets, satins, feathers, crystals, and more.
June Skinner
Originally from New Orleans, she has recently relocated to New York. June creates light and comfortable masks of mythological characters using vacu-formed plastic bases embellished with beautiful silk adornments with glitter accents.
Amy Wood
Amy is a northwest artist who specializes in whimsical, elegant fantasy masks.