His art is in the flow

Mitchell Gaudet, a true “Ninth Ward boy with the accent to prove it,” studied art glass under Tulane University professor Gene Koss, whom he credits for providing him with direction and the artistic freedom to assimilate his collection of found objects into cast-glass work.

Drawing inspiration from New Orleans" heterogeneous culture, Gaudet"s found objects, whether from auctions, estate sales or impromptu digs, are transformed into cast-glass art pieces that represent his take on religion, nature, history and the complexity of personal relationships.

“Glass adds mystery to my narratives, it adds light and color. And, of course, it adds beauty…too much sometimes,” Gaudet says.

Gaudet"s work ranges from his studio"s production of brightly-colored milagros; to collage-style pieces blending steel, glass and antique bacchanalia artifacts; to large-scale public art and architectural glass walls.

After Gaudet received his MFA from Tulane University in 1990, he immediately opened Studio Inferno in the Bywater neighborhood. In early 2014, he relocated his studio to an old movie house on St. Claude Avenue in Arabi, less than 250 feet from the Orleans Parish line. The new location enables Gaudet, who has personally exhibited all over the country, to have bimonthly art exhibitions of national and international artists in the 2,500-square-foot gallery space, as well as a large hot glass studio that allows him to do larger scale work.

Gaudet invites the public and school groups to watch glass-casting demonstrations and he hopes to eventually expand even further into teaching. Other spaces at Studio Inferno include a large metal and layout studio, a kiln room cold shop and three private artist studio rentals.

Just as he blends different media and styles to create unique, “beautiful yet stinging” art, Gaudet does the same in life with his distinctive combination of Ninth Ward boy, Tulanian, artist, gallery owner and entrepreneur.