The home at 1805 Coliseum was built in 1855 for New Orleans cotton merchant Edward Nalle, this grand Lower Garden District home blends Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. Over the years, it became known as “The Mayor’s Mansion,” having been home to two New Orleans mayors, Walter Chew Flower, who served from 1896 to 1900, and deLesseps S. “Chep” Morrison, who served from 1946 to 1961. But this house is also part of my own New Orleans story. Years later, while living in the city, I rented the home and set up my first art studio there. It was one of the places where my life as an artist really began to take shape. For me, this house holds more than New Orleans history, it holds a little of my own as well, making it a place where the city’s past and my personal history come together.