Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9600 | HOURS
925 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.539.9600 | HOURS
Emily Ezell, Emily Arose, 2025, Acrylic, 36 x 48 inches, Collection of the artist
Ogden Museum of Southern Art launched Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, in 2012 as an annual juried exhibition celebrating artists living in Louisiana and showcasing the vitality of artistic practice across the state. Now marking its 15th anniversary, the exhibition has featured work by more than 650 artists since its inception, establishing Louisiana Contemporary as a significant moment on the national arts calendar that recognizes and celebrates the breadth of creative voices emerging from New Orleans and arts communities throughout Louisiana.
Juror Sarah Jones, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, has selected 50 works by 45 artists from over 1,786 submissions.
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Nathalia Toledo Barcia
Donald Beale
Erin Bennett
Thom Bennett
Farah Billah
Josiah Bolth
Marcus Brown
Ryan Burns
Owen Canter
Kate Citrin
Tai Collins
James Constantine
Justine Crowley
Margaret Davis
Emily Ezell
Brandon Felix
Sarita Fonseca
Lizz Freeman
Jessica Goldfinch
Jennifer Graycheck
Brandon Holland
William Howell
Andre ́ Hubbard
Giani Jones
Kay Breaux Livaudais
Sara Madandar
Kristin Meyers
Joshua Mintz
Jacob Mitchell
Madeline Monlezun
Coby Naquin
Adam Newman
Emi O’Brochta
DeShawn Oravetz
Pablo Perez-Castroman
Tyler Russell
Pamela Skehan
Billy Solitario
Alexander Stolin
Trenity Thomas
Angela Lynn Tucker
Catherine Walker
Sydney Walker
Tom Walton
Antonia Zennaro
The Helis Foundation Art Prize for Best in Show: Nathalia Toledo Barcia
Ekeko in Custody, 2026, Hand built porcelain sculpture, glazes, underglazes, plastic, rubber, wood, metal, paper, currency, straw, cotton and strings, Collection of the artist
First Place: Pamela Skehan
Tipping Point, 2025, Oil on canvas
Woman in Waiting, 2025, Acrylic on canvas
Second Place: Owen Canter
Self Portrait at Longue Vue House, 2025, Graphite drawing on paper |
Lament for the Death of a Bull, 2026 Oil on canvas, Duralar, IKEA lamp shade, wooden base, rotating display stand
Third Place: Farah Billah
The Table, with Friends, 2026, Oil on canvas
Sarah Jones, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photo courtesy of Deonté Lee
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.
As someone from Mississippi, who spent much of their time in Louisiana, it has been the greatest privilege to work with Ogden Museum on Louisiana Contemporary 2026, presented by The Helis Foundation.
There were a staggering number of submissions with 1,786 works from 524 artists. The artists come from all over the world, at various points in their careers and are reflective of the rich cultural quilt that is Louisiana. The proximity to water informs so much in this area; it’s a life source, a necessity, yet simultaneously remains a quiet threat at all times. This tension came through in many works both figuratively and metaphorically.
It was impossible to make a selection of works that felt representative of Louisiana artists. The submissions in total evoked for me what I love most about the South: bold creative expression. They grappled with various topics; among those that left the biggest imprint for me were a reckoning with ecological and societal precarity, an interrogation of and insistence on identity, and the power of place that is Louisiana. They also prompted radical provocations of joy through their beauty and skill.
I was thrilled to see an incredible breadth of mediums–performance, photography, painting, sculpture, installation, new media, fiber work and more. These artists are taking risks, challenging norms and continuing to push the edges of how mediums can be interpreted and used. There was great experimentation in much of the work, all while maintaining excellence, depth and rigor.
I’m leaving this experience with great inspiration and hope. I firmly believe that art has the ability to move, ground and connect us–to create transformative, inclusive experiences that resonate across communities. The artists this year have taken this up with profound care and potency, and for that I am deeply grateful to be a part of the Louisiana Contemporary 2026.
Sarah Jones
Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
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.
learn more about the helis foundationHost Committee
Roger Ogden and Ken Barnes
Mary Hotard Becnel
Charles Urstadt and David Bernard
Xiomara and Brad Brewster
Kaye Courington
Catherine and Chad Edmonson
Tyson Geary
Nathalie Simon
Erica Washington
Supporting Sponsor
Charles Urstadt and David Bernard
Holly and Geoff Snodgrass
Contributing Sponsor
Mary Hotard Becnel
Ogden Museum of Southern Art is dedicated to presenting and preserving the art of the American South. Exhibitions like this are made possible through the generosity of supporters.