Don’t Let Them In: Our Vampire Stories in the French Quarter
Sela Ricketts

My work explores our relationship with monsters, specifically vampires, in the French Quarter in
New Orleans, Louisiana. Monsters have existed for as long as we have existed. They’re here
because we’re here. We created monsters to embody our fears, anxieties, and desires. They
have evolved alongside us, treading on our heels and reminding us that we are never truly
alone.
In New Orleans, these monsters have taken on new forms that shape the city’s tourism, media,
and local identity. The city markets and sells the paranormal, even though their existence can
still be debated.

Sela Ricketts is a visual artist currently located in Oxford, MS. She graduated from The University of Mississippi with a degree in IMC. She is now a graduate student at The University of Mississippi studying photography and folklore through the Center for the Study of Southern
Culture. Her thesis, Don’t Let Them In: Our Vampire Stories in the French Quarter, examines our relationship with stories and the monsters we create specifically through vampires in the French Quarter of New Orleans. After graduation, she plans on pursuing a MFA in Documentary Expression.