From the LBC to the Fair Grounds
As New Orleanians gear up for the first weekend of the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (April 23â“25), members of the Tulane community can anticipate a familiar addition to the scene. IN Exchange, a fair-trade store located in the Lavin-Bernick Center on the uptown campus, has garnered a coveted spot as an official festival vendor.
Business school staff member Zina Eugene checks out the tie-dyed dresses from Ghana at the IN Exchange store on the Tulane uptown campus. IN Exchange merchandise will be available for sale at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
The prestigious position provides the small store with an opportunity to share its mission with the greater New Orleans community as well as out-of-town visitors. IN Exchange offers a collection of exclusive goods from local and global artists, who receive fair wages for their labor while the store remains financially sustainable. Products are provided from cooperative programs primarily supporting female artists in high-need areas.
Thousands of festival-goers are drawn to the Jazz Fest's tantalizing trio of spirited music, mouth-watering food and shopping provided by three sections of local vendors.
IN Exchange will set up in the festival's Congo Square Market at the Fair Grounds. The store's merchandise will include "funky hand-batiked dresses and handbags from Ghana and jewelry from Kenya," says Erica Trani, the Tulane alumna who is founder and director of IN Exchange. The goods will be sold amidst live performances of African, African-Caribbean and Latino music on the Congo Square stage.
The highly competitive vendor selection process is led by a Jazz Fest committee. "The application process is still quite fascinating to me; it's certainly mysterious," says Trani.
Participation by IN Exchange at the world-renowned New Orleans festival cements the store's place within local culture, Trani adds.
"Attending Jazz Fest is great, but being part of the fabric of the festival is entirely an honor," says Trani. "It makes me feel like I've finally become a real New Orleanian, and I'm enthusiastic about developing my relationships with Jazz Fest vets."
Mary Cross is a senior majoring in communication at Tulane.
