When the Preservation Hall was founded in the 1960s, its mission was to preserve the living tradition of New Orleans jazz music. They’ve done so through the nightly ritual of intimate acoustic performances held at the Preservation Hall and at similar venues around the world.

In 2011, they took their mission a step further by establishing the Preservation Hall Foundation to bring the New Orleans musical tradition into classrooms and community centers in New Orleans and beyond. The Foundation teaches students skills that are valuable outside of a venue. The heart of jazz music is improvisation, after all. It encourages rule-breaking, replacing the pursuit of perfection with an invitation to experiment.

Blackwing celebrates Preservation Hall and its dedication to keeping the spirit, sound, and soul of jazz music alive. Each pencil features a blue and gold foil design inspired by the sights and sounds of New Orleans jazz and our soft graphite that is ideal for musical notation. Experimentation, improvisation, and tradition are all core components of the Blackwing culture, and we’re proud to do our part to support their cultivation at the Preservation Hall.

A portion of each sale supports Preservation Hall Foundation educational programs like Kids In the Hall and Preservation Hall Lessons; Legacy programs supporting elder Preservation Hall musicians; and the ongoing conservation of the Hall’s vast archive of jazz history.