Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9650 | HOURS
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9650 | HOURS
Susan Ireland, 1950s Buick, 2023, Enamels, 31 x 42 inches, Collection of the artist
Ogden Museum of Southern Art first launched Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation in 2012, as an annual survey exhibition that would bring to the fore the work of artists living in Louisiana and highlight the dynamism of art practice throughout the state. Since the inaugural exhibition thirteen years ago, Ogden Museum has shown works by over 600 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.
This statewide, juried exhibition promotes contemporary art practices in the state of Louisiana, provides exhibition space for the exposition of living artists’ work and engages a national audience that recognizes the vibrant visual arts culture of Louisiana and the role of New Orleans as a rising, international art center.
Juror Daniel S. Palmer, PhD, Chief Curator, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, has selected 53 works by 50 artists from over 1,400 submissions.
support louisiana contemporaryVee Adams
Natalie Armstrong
Jourdan Barnes
Megan Barra
Erin Bennett
Jessica Bertsch
Courtney Buckley
Annelise Kristine Contini
Dartanya Croff
Brandon Felix
Laura Gipson
Ronna S. Harris
Lois Hébert
Sally Heller
Deniz Türkoğlu Hewes
André Hubbard
Kathryn Hunter
Susan Ireland
Jeremy Jernegan
Miles B. Jordan
Mary J. Kirsch
Frahn Koerner
Lily LaGrange
Diego Larguia
Katie LaRocca
Andrew Liles
Katie McCall
Monette McCullough
Bridget McEnerney
Khalil McKnight
Joelle Nagy
Dominick Navarra
Dung “Donkey” Nguyen
Nikki Nolan
Karen Ocker
Rhett Pritchard
Matthew Rosenbeck
Taylor Sacco
Katie Singleton
Melissa Smith
Billy Solitario
Alice St. Germain
Holly Sutherlin
Lue Svendson
Whitney Tates
Trenity Thomas
Emery Tillman
Paige Valente
Natalie Vitrano
William Willoughby
Photo courtesy Awol Erizku
Daniel S. Palmer is chief curator at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. Previously, he was curator at Public Art Fund, New York, where he organized twenty exhibitions. He has also served as the Leon Levy Assistant Curator at the Jewish Museum and Curatorial Research Assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Palmer has curated numerous exhibitions independently and has contributed writing to many artist monographs, publications and journals. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil in art history from the CUNY Graduate Center and a B.A. from Rutgers University.
The 2025 edition of Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, is a polyphony of vibrant voices. Collectively, these artworks showcase the visual culture of Louisiana and emphasize New Orleans’ central position as a rising, international art center today. This exhibition continues the tradition of highlighting the state’s brightest luminaries and freshest new voices equally, displaying a range of creative approaches in various media that reflect the myriad worldviews and perspectives of this thriving place.
As I approached the daunting honor of selecting this year’s artworks from the nearly 1,500 applications submitted, I kept humming a tune that led me to the exhibition’s (unofficial) subtitle and theme: “New Orleanian Love Song.” This rousing track from Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s 2017 album, Ruler Rebel is a stunning tour-de-force ode to his hometown, which perfectly expresses the welcoming generosity of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, as well as the electric sense of inspiration and excitement that flutters within me every time I visit.
The artworks exhibited here instill the same sense of greatness and poetry through the lyrical ways that they convey the breathtaking essence of this place and its people: the revelatory paintings divulge the face and feeling of the region’s landscape and natural setting, the nuanced photographs of the multitudes of individuals and communities disclose the range of emotions and encounters they experience every day, and the multi-media works extrapolate the historic power and sense of tradition that undergirds the area’s heritage while also serving as building blocks for growth and a hopeful tomorrow. Whether figurative or abstract, all of these components are translated to something that communicates resilience and universal creative inclusion. I see every one of the artworks here as emblematic of the Adjuah’s evocation of the state and its aura – a place and feeling unlike any other – perfectly communicated in the trumpeter’s welcoming, shouting blasts, the piano’s driving, embracing melody and the rhythmic percussion’s invitation for us to step together in time.
And yet, this tune and the works here that it reflects are also a bit haunting at times – eerie even – like a lonely, late walk home past the sleepy buildings and yawning branches, past the lanes and among the paved puddles that ripple lament. But that journey and that feeling of longing always implies the other – our collective destination. Toward what end is this yearning, craving, eager New Orleanian Love Song paean penned? I sense a clarion clarity from the powerful, profoundly beautiful and complex artworks shared here. These hymns of praise, thanksgiving and triumph speak of hope – a growing sense of human increase, a rising tide of love and reaching. They stretch outward toward collectivity and community, ever forward, flowing into the breach, culminating in an ebullient sense of unceasing collective joy. We grow together as one.
Daniel S. Palmer, PhD
Chief Curator, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia
The Helis Foundation believes in the transformative power of art. Whether to preserve culture, enrich lives, foster community, invigorate conversation or challenge mindset, The Helis Foundation is dedicated to supporting, cultivating,and celebrating the vibrant arts scene in the greater New Orleans area. By providing access to works of art from world-renowned artists both local and international, The Helis Foundation provides vital resources, encourages artistic excellence and promotes accessibility and diversity through art.
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