The man behind the can. Graffiti artist “bmike” gets his first museum show

Last year a was introduced to the man behind Exhibit Be. Over the past few years, New Orleans has become flooded with beautiful murals around town. From photos of local NOLA Icons to photos of Activists. Brandan “bmike” Odums is the man behind a few of them.

In 2014 bmike created Exhibit Be. His canvas was an abandoned five-story apartment complex located in Algiers. Brandan, as well as dozens of New Orleans street artist, filled the abandoned halls with paintings of black heroes.

“Exhibit Be” (sometimes spelled “ExhibitBE”) drew an army of viewers and became a local icon of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as New Orleans’ most exciting 21st-century artwork to date. Simultaneously, the blue and violet portraits in Odums’ murals became iconic. 

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to see Exhibit Be but I’ve visited his studio in the Bywater called Studio Be. And this Saturday I’ll be checking out his first museum titled “NOT Supposed 2-Be here” located on Tulane University campus.

Odums said that “NOT Supposed 2-Be here” includes several simultaneous themes that touch on ecology, racial identity and autobiography. 

To learn more about Not Supposed 2-Be here, Click here