Sarah Jones, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photo courtesy of Deonté Lee
(NEW ORLEANS, LA) – Ogden Museum of Southern Art has opened the call for entries for the Museum’s annual juried exhibition, Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation. In addition to being the presenting sponsor, The Helis Foundation will again present The Helis Foundation Art Prize, a $5,000 award, chosen by the juror and given to an artist in the exhibition in support of their studio and artistic practice. Awards will also be given to first, second and third place winners, selected by the juror.
Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation is open to all artists 18 years and older residing in the state of Louisiana. All work must be original and completed within the last two years (2024-2026).
Important dates:
- April 6, 2026 – Call for Entries open ogdenmuseum.org
- May 8, 2026 – Last day for mailed entries to be postmarked
- May 22, 2026 – Online entries close at 11:59 p.m. CST
- Week of June 29, 2026 – Notification of accepted entries will be emailed to all applicants
- August 1, 2026 to January 14, 2027 – Exhibition on view at Ogden Museum of Southern Art
2026 guest juror Sarah Jones, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, will curate a selection of the works submitted and subsequently choose four award winners to receive further recognition.
Sarah Jones shares, “I’m honored to be selected as juror for the 2026 Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation exhibition at Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Growing up in Mississippi, I’ve always been inspired by Louisiana’s fecundity – in land, culture and community, which continually nourishes creativity across visual and performing arts alike. I look forward to celebrating the rich, affirming work of the state’s artists.”
Special programming for the 2026 edition of Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation will be announced this summer.
About Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation
Ogden Museum first launched Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation in 2012 to engage artists living in Louisiana and to highlight the dynamism of art practice throughout the state. Since the inaugural exhibition, Ogden Museum has shown works by over 650 artists, making Louisiana Contemporary an important moment in the national arts calendar to recognize and experience the spectrum and vitality of artistic voices emanating from New Orleans and art communities across Louisiana.
To learn more about Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation and to submit work, please visit ogdenmuseum.org.
About Sarah Jones
Sarah Jones is the Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She oversees the department and its programming, which presents and commissions works of performance, including music, dance, related hybrids and site-specific projects, often in collaboration with the Museum’s Collection and Exhibitions. Her innovative methods to deepening audience engagement with visual art has been pivotal in expanding how the Museum embraces the live, the experimental and the urgent. Previously she acted as Chief of Staff and Director of Public Programs at Gagosian. In 2018, she established and led the gallery’s department overseeing global public programming and performance commissions, collaborating with artists including Kyle Abraham, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Aaron Diehl, Missy Mazzoli, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Reiner, Jason Moran, Samora Pinderhughes, Vernon Reid, Raphael Saadiq, Isabella Summers, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles and John Zorn, among others. A trusted leader and strategist, Jones helped shape the gallery’s approach to performance, artist relations, and storytelling across global exhibitions and special projects. She is a 2025 Lunder Institute for American Art Fellow and she serves as President of the Board of Directors of The Kitchen, is a Board Member of ISCP and is in Performance Space New York’s Visionary Circle.
About Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 1999 and open to the public since 2003, Ogden Museum of Southern Art invites visitors to experience and learn about the artists and culture of the American South. Ogden Museum is home to a collection with almost five thousand works, making it the largest publicly available 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. The Museum is further recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs, which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature, culinary heritage and craft and design.
Ogden Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.