NEW ORLEANS (February 21, 2024) – The Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition
(PCSE) presented by The Helis Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of a new sculpture by New Orleans native and renowned artist Anastasia Pelias. PCSE will feature Pelias’ sculpture ViVa (& the whole garden will bow) in the 1200 block of Poydras Street at Loyola Avenue. The outdoor, public exhibition, spanning Poydras Street between Convention Center Boulevard and South Galvez, is the south’s leading rotating sculpture exhibition.
Pelias created her monumental sculpture with polyurea, steel, polystyrene, and aluminum. Using these materials, Pelias’ ViVa is an abstract archetypal form that evokes the essence of the female. In her work, Pelias unapologetically aims to capture love, life, and the female experience. As the daughter of a Greek immigrant mother and a first-generation Greek American father, Pelias often finds inspiration from Ancient Greek traditions. Pelias weaves her New Orleans upbringing with her Greek heritage to create her art, in which she aims to transcend time and space.
“I have a book of poetry by E.E. Cummings, titled ViVa that my father gave me for my 15 th birthday. His poetry is freeform, alive and visually evocative,” said Pelias, describing the inspiration behind her sculpture arriving at PCSE. Pelias’ decision to use parenthesis in part of her sculpture’s title was taken from the last line of her favorite poem which reads, “If there are any heavens.” Pelias describes it as a poem that “elegantly acknowledges and celebrates the specific strength and courage that Mothers possess.”
Pelias has exhibited her artwork across intuitions including the The New
Orleans Museum of Art, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Mobile Museum of Art, and the Newcomb Art Museum. Pelias has also been featured in publications such as Hyperallergic, New American Paintings, Artnet News, and Forbes. A multidisciplinary artist, Pelias’ works include sculptures, oil paintings on canvases, and video.
PCSE is a collaboration between The Helis Foundation, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the City of New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways, to bring interesting and inspiring sculptures to the residents and visitors of New Orleans. Through the years, PCSE has featured over 40 sculptures on Poydras Street by renowned local, regional, and international artists. The Helis Foundation is the exhibition’s sole funder, which currently has 15 sculptures on view.
PCSE will be sharing more exciting announcements of new artists and sculptures coming to the corridor throughout this year later this year. For more information, follow PCSE on Facebook and Instagram, or visit TheHelisFoundation.org.
About Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation
Founded in 2013, Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation is the South’s leading outdoor, rotating public sculpture exhibition. The exhibition spans Poydras Street between Convention Center Boulevard and South Claiborne Avenue in downtown New Orleans and has featured over 40 sculptures by artists of local and international acclaim. The Helis Foundation, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and The City of New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways works together to bring interesting and inspiring sculpture to the residents of and visitors to New Orleans.
About The Helis Foundation
The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation established and funded by the William Helis Family. The Helis Foundation’s resources and objectives are divided into two areas: the general fund, and the Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin Art Funds. The general fund focuses on community needs primarily within the Metropolitan New Orleans area by granting funds to numerous local nonprofit organizations. The Art Funds were established by bequests from Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin. The Art Funds make grants to sustain operations, provide free admission to and acquire significant artworks on behalf of major institutions, and site artwork in public spaces within the Metropolitan New Orleans area. Learn more at www.TheHelisFoundation.org.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Ogden Museum of Southern Art is located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 1999 and open to the public since 2003, invites visitors to experience and learn about the artists and culture of the American South. Ogden Museum is home to a collection of more than 4,500 works, making it the largest and most comprehensive repository dedicated to Southern art in the nation, with particular strength in the genres of Self-Taught art, Regionalism, photography and contemporary art.