Hornblower

"When letters addressed simply to "Mr. Mardi Gras" arrive at the New Orleans Post Office, they are routinely routed to Blaine Kern.

Blaine Kern Artists was founded in 1947, and has grown from one Mardi Gras parade to become the largest float building company in the world today. But founder Blaine Kern's beginning started long before, as a lowly apprentice to his father's sign painting business during the Great Depression of the '30's. Roy Kern was a fine artist who had to take jobs painting ships' names on smokestacks, signs and anything else he could do to make ends meet. His son helped every day.

Young Blaine distinguished himself as a talented artist as early as the second grade in Algiers, across the Mississippi from New Orleans' French Quarter. He also showed great interest in ancient mythology and storytelling, his imagination soaring as he read Jules Verne and adventure stories at the library until late in the evening.

At 19, he painted a mural in a hospital to help defray his mother's medical bills, and his talent caught the eye of Dr. Henry LaRocca. The doctor was coincidentally the Captain of the Krewe of Alla, the biggest parading organization on the West Bank. After he finished the mural, Blaine was contracted to design and build his first carnival parade, and his talents were rewarded with offers that began pouring in.

In time, Alla led to Choctaw, Okeanos, and then the most prestigious parade of all, Rex; then, came Zulu and a host of other krewes from New Orleans and surrounding communities.

Blaine is an eighth generation Algerine and lives in a lovely home only three blocks from where he was born.

He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree and the Spes Unica Award from Our Lady of Holy Cross College, and they named the college library after him.

He has been inducted into the Hilton Walk of Fame, the Junior Achievements Business Hall of Fame, the Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, the International Festivals & Events Association, honored with the Louisiana Legends Award, the Lester Kabakoff Award, the 1998 Italian American of the Year Award, the 1999 German American of the Year Award, and received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in law from Northwood University.

Kern was a co-founder of the Krewe of Bacchus, one of the first super-krewe non-traditional organizations, that brought Mardi Gras into the modern age. Then came Endymion, Orpheus and over 40 other major parades including, Universal Studios annual Mardi Gras Parades and other parades world-wide.

His eldest son, Blaine Kern, Jr.,owns Mardi Gras Productions. Blaine working with his sister Thais, has created magic for untold events in the convention and Mardi Gras industry including the incredible artistry for the Endymion Ball. The 1984 World's Fair was resplendent with gigantic Kern alligators and other spectacular creations tackled by his son Barry, who is carrying on the family tradition. His role now is President of Blaine Kern Artists, Inc., and a designer and builder of props and sculptures for Disney and other theme parks, as well as casinos throughout the world. Son Brian runs Mardi Gras World, where tours and parties, held in a festive atmosphere where Mardi Gras is created, makes it a must-see for thousands of tourists each year
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