Over the weekend of October 16–18, Frenchy painted live at NOLA Funk Fest for the festival’s fourth year, and finished eight canvases across two stages in three days:

  • Dumpstaphunk
  • Galactic
  • JoJo Hermann & Friends
  • Big Chief Juan Pardo’s Tribal Gold
  • River Eckert
  • Allen Toussaint Tribute
  • Anders Osborne & Jackie Greene
  • George Porter Jr & the Runnin’ Pardners, closing out the fest

Allen Toussaint, painted on the main stage

For the Allen Toussaint Tribute on Saturday night, Frenchy set up his easel on the main stage and painted while the show was happening, a few feet from the band.

Frenchy painting on the Funk Fest main stage during the Allen Toussaint Tribute, with the piano and crowd in front of him

Frenchy at his easel on the main stage, working on the Allen Toussaint painting under the stage lights

Giving back is one of the festival’s main missions, so Frenchy offered to donate the proceeds of his Allen Toussaint painting to Grace at the Green Light, the New Orleans nonprofit that meets basic needs like water, food and hygiene for people experiencing homelessness. The painting has sold, and the proceeds are going to Grace at the Green Light.

Frenchy's finished Allen Toussaint painting: Allen at the piano, eyes closed and singing into the microphone, his suit splattered with color against swirls of red and purple

New Orleans piano legends: past, present and future

From the Allen Toussaint Tribute to River Eckert, the weekend was full of New Orleans piano. Frenchy painted River at the keys, singing into the mic in mirrored sunglasses, with the Funk Fest smiling face in fleur-de-lis glasses glowing behind him: the New Orleans piano tradition carried forward.

Frenchy's River Eckert painting: River at the keys in sunglasses, singing into the microphone, with the Funk Fest smiling face in fleur-de-lis glasses behind him against swirls of purple and gold

Detail of Frenchy's River Eckert painting, showing River's face, sunglasses and microphone

Sunday: Tribal Gold to the closing set

Sunday afternoon he painted in front of the stage during Big Chief Juan Pardo’s Tribal Gold, with the crowd gathered around his canvas.

Frenchy painting in front of the stage during Big Chief Juan Pardo's Tribal Gold, with Mardi Gras Indian suits in yellow and orange on stage

That night he closed out the fest painting George Porter Jr & the Runnin’ Pardners.

Frenchy's George Porter Jr painting in the crowd during the closing set, with the band on stage behind it

Prints coming soon

Frenchy is putting the finishing touches on the Funk Fest paintings now, and prints will be released one at a time as each painting is finished. Keep an eye on the shop and follow @frenchylive on Instagram to see each one as it’s done.

Funk Fest has been part of Frenchy’s year from the start: he painted George Porter Jr at the very first Funk Fest in 2023, and last year’s paintings included Meters 2.0, Master P w/ The Soul Rebels and the New Orleans Suspects. You’ll find those below.

Another great Funk Fest, year four in the books.