Well-known New Orleans street artist brings color back to his hometown on the West Bank

As the unforgiving summer sun beat down and cars zipped by, artist Joshua Wingerter stood at a busy Westwego intersection, spray-painting stencils of monarch butterflies and pink wildflowers onto a bright yellow utility box.

Every few minutes, drivers passing by honked their support. Wingerter would stop to wave back and wipe the sweat off his brow as the smell of paint fumes filled the air next to the Westbank Expressway. 

It’s been a labor of love for the Westwego native as he paints once-dull gray roadside utility boxes with brightly colored native wildlife to beautify the city with public art, something that’s been lacking for most of its history. 

The graffiti-style artist has partnered with the city and local businesses to paint seven utility boxes, starting from the end of the elevated Westbank Expressway.

While his art sells for thousands across the Mississippi River, the self-described “pop art scientist” is working with the city to foster an artistic community on the West Bank. Wingerter’s planning more murals and events for Westwego, and he’s bought properties in the city’s new cultural arts district to host more artists in the future.

He finished four utility boxes by Wednesday, and hopes to finish the rest by next week. The response from neighbors has been electric so far, he said, with residents crossing the busy stretch of highway to take pictures or snag free art he’s left behind.

“You know how surreal it is to be driving around the neighborhood you grew up in and have your art everywhere?” Wingerter said.

Wingerter’s utility boxes all pay tribute to Westwego’s native flora and fauna on top of neon yellow backdrops — at Louisiana Street, one displays a forest-green alligator crawling out from swamp marsh as it bares its teeth. Nearby, a white pelican is perched atop a wooden stump as a fishing boat passes by.

He doesn’t put much preparation into his designs, letting the ideas come to him spontaneously instead. For his butterfly and flower box, for example, he pulled inspiration from simply peering at his garden as he left for work that morning.

Wingerter has become a well-known street artist in the New Orleans area over his 10-year career, having gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic by painting graffiti-style artwork onto the plywood of boarded-up Frenchman Street businesses to create an outdoor art gallery.

He’s showcased his art across the country, from gallery shows in Washington, D.C., to the prestigious Art Basel festival in Miami Beach.

But Wingerter’s roots lie in the 8,000-person city of Westwego, where he used drawing as a creative outlet while struggling with dyslexia at Westwego Elementary School. He didn’t believe he could make a career out of art, so he studied business at the University of New Orleans instead and spent 10 years as a manager at Home Depot.

Wingerter pivoted to a full-time art career after the birth of his son, Hendrix, who’s since become his muse. He moved into a gallery, a two-story, 4,000-square-foot building, at 401 Sala Ave. in Westwego about four years ago.

With his career taking off in the Crescent City, the artist has shifted focus to bringing color to his working-class hometown and drawing others in to engage with art, particularly younger generations.

More than a fifth of Westwego lives below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census data.

“Being a kid growing up in a neighborhood where art wasn’t accessible, I’ve always wondered what my career would look like if I was exposed to art and valued arts at an early age,” Wingerter said.

He has hosted block parties to showcase his art, adorned local businesses with murals, and worked with the city’s beautification committee to fund public projects like the utility box paintings. Behind his gallery, a bright yellow community fridge and pantry is available for residents in need to get free food.

It was difficult to get locals to bite at first, even when offering to paint free murals.

“If I’m going to be the first artist all these people are around, I’ve got to make a good statement here,” Wingerter recalled.

City officials hope Wingerter is the first of many artists to flock to Westwego. The city created a cultural district last year that exempts original works of art from local sales taxes and provides state historic preservation tax credits for building rehabilitation.

“Josh came in with this art gallery, he brought so much vitality with him I think we just all felt this was a fun direction,” said Westwego Councilwoman Lisa Valence, who commissioned Wingerter to create a sunflower mural in her district. “He had the enthusiasm to bring people in.”

Wingerter’s bought up several properties in the cultural district, with the plan to secure grants to provide other artists with residencies there in the future. His next goals are to paint murals at the Westwego Police Department and Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, where his bright pop art can be seen across the river from the east bank.

“I really believe this is a city in transition,” Wingerter said. “It’s almost like a rebirth, a coming home-to.”