The city of New Orleans means everything to native Jarrad “Jay” McKay, and the artist is declaring his love through his exhibition, “Let The Children Play.”
McKay has taken his art beyond gallery walls and into the neighborhoods that raised him, bringing it directly to children who may not have access to museums and are often forgotten in conversations about inclusivity and art.
With “Let The Children Play,” McKay has transformed community spaces into experiences designed to inspire the next generation of artists. Across local parks, rec centers and community spaces, McKay’s installations invite children to see themselves reflected in art. His pieces feature imagery of Black children jumping rope, playing with paper planes, and enjoying carefree moments. McKay draws on the energy of the Crescent City, using bold colors, incorporating structures from its housing projects, and featuring scenes of second-lines to evoke his childhood nostalgia and honor the cultural legacy of the city and its residents.
McKay’s art can be seen throughout the city, from murals honoring communities rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina to paintings that celebrate Black childhood and joy. His work has also caught the attention of celebrities such as Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne.
Beyond the streets, McKay’s collaborations with brands such as Nike, Lululemon and Sneaker Politics have brought his mission of healing and community connection through artistic expression to a broader audience.
Blavity spoke with McKay about the power of art and how “Let The Children Play” is more than just an exhibition; it’s a reflection of what happens when creativity meets purpose.
What first inspired the idea for “Let The Children Play,” and how did your own childhood in New Orleans play a part in its creation?
Jarrad “Jay” McKay: “For me, growing up in New Orleans in the ’90s and the 2000s, we were outside kids. That was our social media, that was our outlet. We were riding bikes, playing basketball and playing football, and outside was full of life. You experience things, you learn things like having your first fight, learning how to swim and different things like that. Today, I feel like the kids are jammed up between iPads, social media and technology so much that they don’t get outside to play.”
When you reference ‘bringing art to the children,’ what does that mean? What do you hope they see or feel when they experience your work in their own neighborhoods?
“When I talk about bringing art to the children, my whole goal was to bring art to the neighborhood. These kids in the hood don’t get a chance to go to galleries or museums. They may see art at school, they may see art in history books, but some of these kids don’t get a chance to attend an art show, see Black art, or see people who look like them creating art and making a living from it. I met kids who love to do art and who love to draw and paint. They just don’t have the resources to do it. So I wanted to bring that to them to show them, ‘Hey, you can be this person. You can do it. Art is cool. Art is an expression. Art is a way of expressing yourself.’ I want to expose them to that now so they’ll have that memory. Like, ‘Oh man, I remember homie coming in the hood. He brought an exhibition to the actual hood. To our neighborhood.’ I also gave out 200 pairs of Adidas sneakers to the kids because I felt it was vital and needed. I had kids out there with holes in their shoes, bro, that needed that. So for me, that was very important to expose the kids to art.”
Your work is full of color and movement. How is that connected not only to the stories and memories of your own childhood but also to New Orleans as a whole?
“For me, using bold color and movement in my pieces is meant to show that New Orleans is a vibrant city. It’s very colorful. We are vibrant people. We have great energy. We have great movement. We second line, we make Mardi Gras Indian costumes and have Mardi Gras. New Orleans is a festive city; it’s almost like a little island. The people here are resilient. The people here are bright. The bold colors represent our culture as a whole. Man, it’s the food, the tradition, and how Black we are and how rooted in culture we are. It’s very important to me to reference that in my pieces.”
How does your artwork incorporate the city’s traditions, such as its music, parades and historical landmarks?
“As far as tradition, in my works, I paint New Orleans from a different lens. In my pieces, you’ll see more of neighborhood nostalgia. You’ll see neighborhoods, you’ll see shotgun houses. I don’t really reflect on the parades and all that type of stuff. I do paint landmarks, but for me, it’s neighborhood landmarks. It’s that street that you grew up on. It’s the corner store you went into to get your snacks and stuff. So that’s the kind of landmarks I project onto when it comes to tradition in my pieces.”
Why was it important for you to take this exhibition beyond traditional gallery walls and into the neighborhoods that raised you?
“It was essential for me to take this exhibition beyond the ‘traditional white walls and the hands behind your back and walk and look around’ exhibition. I wanted to make this art show an experience. Bring it to the actual playground, to the park, so the work can resonate with what I’m saying. I had kids out there throwing a football, riding their bikes. I had blow-up bounce houses, and the kids were on the swings and playing on the monkey bars. I wanted to create that whole experience. It was beautiful to see these kids get out and enjoy themselves and play and run. I also had them paint this vandalized playhouse. So the kids got to do a paint project and leave their mark on the playground, too. So it was very vital and intentional about avoiding putting this in a contemporary space.”
How have residents responded to seeing art brought to life in their neighborhoods?
“Seeing the residents come out and bring their kids out … they really enjoyed it. It was a father who brought his kids out there and said, ‘Man, thank you so much for doing this, man. This is beautiful.’ He was like, ‘I enjoyed myself. The kids enjoyed themselves. My kids never painted on the outside of a house before or got to leave their mark on anything.’ So, the residents loved it, and the shoe giveaway, everybody was so appreciative. We gave out water and PowerAids and stuff like that. The hood really appreciated it. It was something different. It was received very well.”
Did you encounter any environmental challenges or political pushback when you took your art outside traditional gallery settings?
“I didn’t receive any environmental challenges when I wanted to do this. I collab with NORD, our recreational department here in New Orleans. I asked for permission, and they were super open to the idea and very helpful, which was good. They’re all about helping with the kids. NORD does a lot for the community here and recreational parks and sports here for the kids. So thank God I didn’t have any problems with anything, no permits, nothing. Everything was smooth sailing. Thank God for that.”
Art can be transformative. How do you see this exhibition contributing to long-term community empowerment or greater access to the arts?
Art is very transformative. There’s no right or wrong way to art. I tell people that all the time. I see this exhibition going further. I want to design a playground around art. I want to design an experience of a playground scene and play place, just something different for kids to experience art, but in a playful way. I want to design a dope play set. It’s transformative and very important to bring art to kids who can’t access these areas. They just never experience art.
Do you see “Let The Children Play” as the start of a new approach to making art accessible in underserved communities?
Yes, I do see that this is becoming an approach for accessible art in underserved communities because I’m going to make it my business to bring art to those areas and to those neighborhoods that are not exposed. They’ll usually see a mural on the wall, but I want to bring contemporary vibes to them as well, show them gallery etiquette, and teach them how to observe, express and tell how an art piece feels to them. I want them to be able to observe and describe the work and learn the verbiage and language of art talk. So it’s huge. I think it’s very important.
Are there plans to expand this exhibit to other cities or create new experiences, either alone or with other artists, that focus on childhood creativity?
I would love to bring this art exhibit all around the world. I would love to curate, get with other artists in neighborhoods, collaborate with them, and bring their work to light alongside mine, and we just make it like a big coalition. To give back and to collaborate with artists and come together, not on a competition type s**t but come together and embrace the hood, and make this a thing, man. I want to go to the roughest of the neighborhoods. I want to go to the trenches and bring this experience, this light, and this positivity to these areas, man. There’s so much negativity going around in the world.