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FRONT COVER: JOURDAN BARNES, ROOTED IN FLOW (DETAIL), 2024, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY, 20 X 30 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST
BACK COVER: NIKKI NOLAN, ATRIUM (DETAIL), 2025, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 58 X 48 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST
Each year it’s a privilege to write an introduction for this exhibition catalog. I always look forward to it, but for many reasons wait until the catalog is nearly completed to begin, firstly so I can see the works of art selected for the current edition, and secondly to provide an unavoidable print deadline.
This year stumbling toward the deadline, I find myself more desperate than usual to clear my head for the task at hand. When I sit down to write, every word I want to use is being pushed aside by other words from the very pervasive media envelope we are all surrounded by. Fittingly, this is a very contemporary problem to have, but it represents an enormous challenge.
Counting these words to try and get them out of the way, I realize that we are more than halfway through 2025 and prime keywords used most often this year stubbornly persist: instability, uncertainty, danger, risk, conflict, disaster.
The words themselves are individually sufficient to cause alarm and concern. Swirled together in the morass of all media where we always have access to a steady stream of all things, they contribute to an unavoidable curtain of gloom that is as thick as our August humidity. To dispense with these words, I try to read my list and cross them out. Yet an image forms in my mind of everything they represent, and instead of being like a photograph, it becomes more of a blurry tapestry woven together by various meanings, interpretations and relationships that these words impart on one another.
The fast-paced delivery of these words hasn’t provided much of a break, or even time to catch our collective breath. Every time I hear of a new piece of unsettling news, a memory comes immediately to mind, and I think of my college watercolor professor, Brent Funderburk.
Just after the September 11 attacks in 2001, seeking solace, Professor Funderburk calmly picked up a Lite Brite toy from his office shelf, spelled out a two-word message, and placed the box in the window, facing outward to the outside world.
As a graduate student, I was teaching certain foundation classes alongside Professor Funderburk, and that night around 10 p.m. I was walking back to the studio after teaching a late drawing class to a group of architecture students. I passed underneath his office window which was then on the second floor above the main entrance to the main art building. Walking from a distance, I had seen the bright light, was eager to get closer, and then looked up.
There, in bright, bold, multi-color letters were two simple words:
From that moment, for as long as I can remember afterward, from that window the little sign would face the entire world with its bold message illuminated in dayglo dots during the day and night.
It wasn’t an act of defiance; it was an affirmation.
Many months later I saw it less of a response and more of a declaration: “Art heals.” It was a small gesture but of a moment I would describe as being locally universal.
Fast-forward 24 years and a lot has changed. More recently, the world of art and specifically the museum world has been pressed into service as a potential antidote for every conceivable ailment of our times.
It surprised me that I didn’t always agree with this idea. Even though I came from an academic background with idea that art should be for everyone, I always wanted art to be in service first to the seekers who set out with intense purpose to find this panacea, and then to the wanderers who happened to stumble across whatever antidote they were craving.
For the longest time, I mainly appreciated art that told a story, that shared a history, that provided inspiration, directed toward those who had taken certain measures to encounter the work through some recognizable effort, private or public though it may be, like walking into a museum, art gallery or artist’s studio.
I’m now in agreement with the notion that art can fix everything and that it has a power beyond measure. I believe that for it to heal, it must be seen, and for it to be seen we must have artists and studios and exhibitions and museums and viewers and communities around each of these things.
And so, if art can’t totally cure us, I believe that art and its attendants can cleanse, heal and restore us, and strengthen us against all the things we’re reading and hearing aboutgeopolitical unrest, economic crisis, societal challenges, environmental change - or whatever unprecedented catastrophe, cataclysm or calamity is happening.
Each year, Louisiana Contemporary helps me maintain this belief, and I’m thankful for it, especially for this fourteenth edition of Louisiana Contemporary which for the tenth year is presented exclusively by The Helis Foundation. It’s notable that the support of both contemporary and historic art allows for the creation and preservation of artistic legacy, as part of a cycle. The continued support of this exhibition and of The Helis Foundation Art Prize, an unrestricted grant presented to an artist annually, is truly remarkable.
I’m deeply appreciative for the juror, Daniel S. Palmer, Chief Curator at the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art, who brought irrepressible enthusiasm, experience and energy to the process, as this year had the most artists to respond to the call for entries. Daniel’s work will undoubtedly make this gathering of Louisiana artists more accessible to the world.
In addition to contributors who support the presentation of this exhibition listed in exhibiton text, I’m indebted to numerous staff members who help make this exhibition possible through their dedication and hard work.
For many years, Amy Newell, Director of Exhibitions, has ensured the critical success of this endeavor as the organizer of Louisiana Contemporary . Amy is deeply engaged with every facet of the exhibition, working with every department in the Museum to present one of the most exciting aspects of our unique, educational mission.
Amy’s work is supported by other members of the Curatorial department - Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection; Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography and Selina McKane, Curatorial and Exhibitions Manager.
Awareness of this important exhibition is supported by the efforts of Capri Guarisco, Marketing & Communications Manager, along with Alia Muhaymin, Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator; along with fundraising efforts by Allison Bailey, Development Manager, and Kadeshia Bellard, Development Coordinator.
In addition to the staff of Ogden Museum and our volunteers and teen docents, I’m grateful to our dedicated Board of Trustees and its leadership, who support and champion our efforts in every way possible.
As grateful as I am for this exhibition, I remain glad for the memory of that the little light box in the window back in 2001, glowing its small but meaningful message to a world still needing to be healed by art.
William Pittman Andrews
The Helis Foundation Executive Director Ogden Museum of Southern Art
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, GA
The Slippery Wet of the New (Another World is Possible) 2025
Textile banner: Screenprinted fabric, sequins, mesh, ruffles, quilting batting, thread, found wood, encaustic and plastic chain. Wallpaper: CMYK screenprint on paper
Dimension variable
Collection of the artist
VEE ADAMS
New Orleans, LA
T’es Belle Comme Une Fleur
2025
Mixed media digital and analog collage on wood panel with attached 3D elements (red beans, dried okra, Spanish moss)
31 x 12 inches
Collection of the artist
West Monroe, LA
Rooted in Flow 2024
Digital Photography
20 x 30 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Orleans Avenue 2024
Silk composition
30 x 30 inches
Collection of the artist
Lafayette, LA
Patiently 2025
Acrylic paint on cardboard, twine, recycled goods
22 x 18 inches
Collection of the artist
Exposed 2025
Charcoal and pastel on Strathmore paper
24 x 18 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
48 x 48 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Photo print
18 x 12 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
bell hooks
Dimensions variable
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
24 x 36 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Caught Up in Everything 2024
Wire, abaca, glue, paint, fiber fill
30 x 24 x 21 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Memorie of a Reflective Past
45 x 60 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
2025
Photography
18 x 26 inches
Collection of the artist
Baton Rouge, LA
In Mid-Air
2025
Video
Running time 4:38 minutes
Collection of the artist SALLY
New Orleans, LA
One Look is Like a Thousand Looks
Photography 27 x 40 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
THERE FOR I AM 2025
Photography
36 x 24 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Indelible Tales
2024
Wool appliqué, embroidery, hand sewing and quilting, machine piecing, cotton, fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark and cotton threads (with framed letterpress printed 12" x 9" info-graphic)
28.75 x 53 inches
Collection of the artist
Baton Rouge, LA
Buick 2023
31 x 42 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Bait
2025
Ceramic and stainless steel
21 x 57 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Digital photography double exposure 12 x 12 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
2025
Watercolor on paper
15 x 22 inches
Collection of the artist
Mandeville, LA
It’s OK!!!
Puzzle pieces from photographs
18 x 24 inches each
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
A Place to Appear 2023
Archival inkjet print
16 x 20 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans, LA
2023
Photography
10 x 8 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Three Towers of Water, All Living I Reckon 2023
Graphite and watercolor 14 x 11 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
2023
18 x 3 x 2 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Between Rocheblave and Dorgenois 2024
Art Quilt made with all cotton batik and solid color fabrics, batting and threads
35.75 x 38.5 inches
Collection of the artist
Baton Rouge, LA
30 x 40 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Suit Up 2024 Oil on canvas
60 x 36 inches
Collection of the artist
Vigil 2025 Oil on canvas
48 x 48 inches
Collection of the artist
Baton Rouge, LA
Fatman 2025
Spray paint, acrylic and found aluminum on birch plywood
38 x 30 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Lions & Luchas
2024
Photography
16 x 24 inches
Collection of the artist
Avondale, LA
58 x 48 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
A Brighter Day Ahead (Left)
2025
Oil painting on board, framed with reclaimed wood and cast-iron sewing machine parts
30.25 x 22 x 3 inches
Collection of the artist
Olympia (Right)
2025
Oil painting on board, framed with reclaimed wood, spindles and trombone and cymbal parts
35.5 x 24 x 8 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
2023
Oil painting on board, upholstery fabric, reclaimed wood, spindle, cast iron grate and trombone parts
38 x 24.5 x 7.5 inches
Collection of the artist
KAREN OCKER
New Orleans, LA
Dwelling in the Glow
2024
Long exposure photography
16 x 20 inches
Collection of the artist
RHETT PRITCHARD
Chalmette, LA
72 x 34 x 4 inches
New Orleans, LA
Contours Carried Like a Flag
2025
Archival pigment print
30 x 24 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise 2025
Hand embroidery on tarp
55 x 42.5 inches
Collection of the artist
Folsom, LA
Black Cat Fireworks
Watercolor on paper
16 x 18 inches
Collection of the artist MELISSA SMITH
New Orleans, LA
2024
Oil on canvas
36 x 36 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Watercolor
20.75 x 16.5 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
2025
Photographic print
20 x 16 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Sunlight and Shadows 2024 Oil on board
11 x 14 inches
Collection of the artist
Lafayette, LA
Collection of the artist
Shreveport, LA
2025
Digital print
24 x 36 inches
Collection of the artist, courtesy of Ferrara Showman Gallery
Westwego, LA
Softness is Power 2025
Vintage dead stock bugle beads, thread
8 x 14 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Ladies and Gentlemen, People With Jobs, People Without Jobs, Middle Class, Upper Class, High Class, Cats, Snakes, Chickens, Ducks, Elderly People, and Twerkers, I Presents to You…
2024
Acrylic on raw canvas, fabric
20 x 16 inches
Collection of the artist
New Orleans, LA
Jefferson, LA
Midnight in Glass
2025
Photography
30 x 24 inches
Collection of the artist
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.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art is grateful to its staff and these supporters for making Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, possible:
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
HOST COMMITTEE:
Michael & Stacey Burke
Justin I. Woods
Chairperson
Jessie Haynes
Vice Chairperson
Geoffrey P. Snodgrass
Treasurer
Jason Waguespack
Secretary
Justin Woods
Executive Director
William Pittman Andrews
The Helis Foundation
Executive Director
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
*As of July 1, 2025
Roger Ogden & Ken Barnes
*As of July 1, 2025
Trustees
Coleman E. Adler II
Ron Bechet
Ted Bloch III, M.D.
William Bryan
Carlos Carmona
Tracy Copeland
Kaye Courington
Scott Cunningham
Beverly Dale
Debra Fischman
Penny Francis
Monica Ann Frois
Monique Gardner
L. Kasimu Harris
Stuart Hurt
James Kalyvas, M.D.
R. Jackson Little
Catherine Makk
Matthew Moreland
Dale Mott
Roger Ogden
Deanna Rodriguez
Troy Scroggins, M.D.
Lloyd N. “Sonny” Shields
Nathalie Simon
Charles D. Urstadt
Fern Watters
Jennie Cannon West
Sharonda Williams
Trustee Emeritus
Gregory Holt
Chairmen Emeriti
William Goldring
Charles D. Urstadt
Adrienne Morrow, Gallery Attendant
Alanni Martin, Visitor Services Associate
Alia Muhaymin, Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator
Allison Bailey, Development Manager
Amy Newell, Director of Exhibitions
Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection & Collections Manager
Capri Guarisco, Marketing & Communications Manager
Caroline Zuniga, Gallery Attendant
Christine Flug, Museum Store Associate
Denise Hamilton, Gallery Attendant
Ellen Balkin, Deputy Director of Experience & Engagement
Elysha Diaz, Museum Services Coordinator
Emery Van Hook Sonnier, Deputy Director of Exhibitions & Advancement
Erika Hargrove, Gallery Attendant
James Eubanks, Manager of Security
Jane Winslow, Museum Store Manager
Juan May, Custodian
Kadeshia Bellard, Membership & Development Coordinator
Kimuyen Tran, Gallery Attendant
Kristian Armour-Williams, Visitor Services Associate
Leigh Berner, Director of Finance & Administration
Mark Spiers, Gallery Manager
Melanie Johanson, Deputy Director of Administration
Melissa Guyton, Custodian
Michelle Pontiff, Education Manager
Myron Solomon, Museum Educator & Teen Program Coordinator
Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography & Chief Prepartor
Sara Echaniz, Docent and Tour Programs Manager & Museum Educator
Selina McKane, Curatorial & Exhibitions Manager
Shannon Burrell, Gallery Attendant
Stephany Robinson, Events Coordinator
Tabbie Benanti, Director of Security
Terris Kingsberry, Gallery Attendant
Torian Brown, Visitor Services Associate
Wayne Loyacano, Chief Engineer & Facilities Manager
William Andrews, The Helis Foundation Executive Director, Ogden Museum
*As of July 1, 2025
