Arthur Smith is something of a legend in New Orleans for his extraordinary devotion to his family's graves. His grandmother's oven tomb in St. Louis No 1 is always decorated, but the diocese keeps the adornments to a minimum.

His whimsy is given full expression in other areas of the city, however, particularly in Holt Cemetery, where an ever-changing "art installation" covers his Aunt and Mother's graves.

Mr. Smith has actually participated in several 'outsider art' shows, and used to be often seen pushing his shopping cart around town, searching for treasures to use in his art, his graves, and his biggest and strangest canvas, his house on Music Street:

House photo courtesy of Karen Gadbois of Squandered Heritage - shown boarded up post-Katrina. It's been torn down and now a vacant lot.

In Holt, his art has more purpose than strictly decorative, however. In this pauper's cemetery, there are no organized plots, no real records, and no ownership. The families of the dead stake out their territories and defend it as long as they're able with whatever makeshift memorials they can, and as long as the area stays tended and up to date, it can stay in place. Once an area appears to be abandoned, however, the sexton will allow the land to be re-used, and your family grave will be no more.

One thing you couldn't call the Smith plot is untended.

These days he's slowed down quite a bit, but still keeps things updated. There was a fresh coat of lilac paint on everything for Easter, and reading material tucked in the festival chairs.

To see more of Arthur Raymond Smith's artwork over the years, check out the Flickr Group dedicated to him.