Zèle NOLA

I’ve come to Zèle a handful of times, and I really like the concept of a year-​round indoor art market, especially during the warmer, rainier months. Well-​lit with different vendors hosting various stalls from furniture to hanging mixed media, pottery, prints, soap, and ties!
This is a great stop to get someone a local gift to take home if you’re visiting or to find a local gift for a birthday and/​or special holiday. I would say though if you come by and see something that would be the perfect gift for an upcoming holiday, vendors and stock can change pretty quickly, so scoop it up. Some vendors are better at arranging their stock and including pricing and information about themselves. This is also just a great place to go look at some local art as well!
I’m a t-​shirt junkie and bought a really badass New Orleans indian-​printed shirt here that’s very unique and was very well priced. For the holidays, we bought our landlord and my dad some great presents including soap, a New Orleans tray, and tie. Our biggest purchase was a beautiful made bar cart that we were able to bargain a little on!
I really like the variety that’s in here, and will definitely come back to check out what’s new in store!

Very nice market. I was exploring Magazine St. a bit (was in town for a wedding, and my airbnb was nearby) and stopped by here. I bought a print of Bourbon St. (sketch) for about $ 20 with tax, and I picked up two Beyonce-​inspired wine bottle bags for a friend — they say «Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation» with a pic of some wine bottles, and I had texted him a picture of it and he immediately had to have it. :)
There are a lot of different stalls here from different artisans, and they had a nice collection of things to purchase.
I’d definitely come back here when in the area.

Loved this little art market if you can call it that. I appreciate being able to look through and buy pieces of all types from local artists all at once. They have just about everything. Very big to small works of art from local painters, homemade/​handmade candles. Jewelry, post cards, «beau-​ties», as well as woodwork and other home improvement things.
I’ve passed this many times strolling up and down magazine. SO happy I finally stopped in!

An art gallery along Magazine street. I visited this place during the «Art for Art’s Sake» event.
Food: They has some small eats and some wine for the event, but I don’t think it’s fair to grade them on give-​a-​ways. (no rating)
Services: It’s an art gallery. They had a number of artists’ works on display and sale. It was very busy due to the event. Workers were friendly, if over-​burdened. 3 stars
Facilities: A completely refurbished storefront. It’s a bit sparse, last I saw. Signage readily visible from the street. 3 stars
Overall: A nice place; if I were someone into higher-​end artwork, I would probably shop here. 3 stars

I accidentally found this store today while visiting New Orleans for a convention. I had limited time and went to the Magazine Street merchants website to map out my shopping strategy. I made a list of shops I wanted to visit. I missed this on my list – Zele is listed as an art gallery-​and I didn’t use that as a search criteria.
I’m glad I found it! What a unique idea — renting space to local artists so they have a storefront to sell their creations. The large store is full of wonderful, one of a kind, hand made art – jewelry, wall art, small pieces, large pieces, furniture, leather, wood crafts, just amazing creativity. Each cubby is a different artist and experience. The prices are excellent. If you are looking for a gift, a unique souvenir for yourself, Zele is a go to place. I found some cast leaves and a floral mosaic that is just perfect for an empty wall here at home. I would’ve bought more but I was pressed for time and suitcase space – I will definitely visit this store again the next time I’m in New Orleans.
For visitors, like me, I was unfamiliar with Magazine street. It is couple of miles of clusters of shops, small businesses and restaurants separated by blocks of residential homes. You can take the #11 Bus up and down Magazine street. You can buy a $ 3 one day transportation pass that will enable you to freely get on and off without worrying about change for transfers or your ticket expiring.

The place looks like it restructured a bit. Cleaner lines and easier to find things. I see a big improvement over the last few months when I was there. I review businesses all over the city and I have been asked to come back to a few. I give my honest and fair opinion. I am hard on food because we have such a diverse city and great choices. I enjoy new businesses and hope that the publics views help to guide them in a better direction. Customer service and value are the two best things I see going here.
Magazine street offers a different experience than the French quarter. I brought two friends with me this past week and they liked most things about Zele. Now on to Domenica Pizza and hopefully we can give them some extra stars.

³⁄₅ feels in progress still
so the benefit of this space is getting everything all in one spot. if you are visiting new orleans for a weekend and for whatever reason missed other art markets, having this here must be really helpful.
it’s pretty light, open, and airy. but it can also feel vacant at times. each of the small booths can feel cramped — seems like everything is screaming for attention in each tiny space. but the variety again is the benefit — so crafts, photos, art, shirts, and it goes on and on! i’m surprised there isn’t food — maybe there is. i guess what’s missing for me is some sense of curation.
i think over time this place will settle in, and it’ll gain a better sense of cohesion. for now it still feels a little half-​ready and overwhelming at the same time.

When Re said there was a new art marketplace on Magazine, I knew I had to go check it out. Located in the space where Dombourian rugs used to be, this brand new building makes great use of the space.
They had a variety of artists, crafts people, and interesting items to look at. The space is airy and comfortable and the booths are well spaced. There is a central counter to check out.
As always with these spaces, the booths are varied and there is a good variety of work from turned wood to paintings to sculpture to lamps to gift items.
A space I’ll be keeping my eye on for the future.