• This Week

    Contemporary Arts Center

    Opening Night Celebration: Behind Every Beautiful Thing: Encountering Bodies, Wrestling the Human Condition

    July 31, 2021

    We are excited to invite our community to the CAC's Opening Night Celebration for "Behind Every Beautiful Thing: Encountering Bodies, Wrestling the Human Condition," on Saturday, July 31 from 6 – 10 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

    Join us for an evening of libations, music, food, and performances... Read more →

    Upcoming

    Contemporary Arts Center

    White Linen Night at the CAC

    August 7, 2021

    White Linen Night returns to the CAC with a focus on bold new contemporary art and the return of the CAC's popular White Linen AFTER DARK after party! Admission is free with RSVP required. Learn more about the night's festivities and RSVP below.

    RSVP NOW

    Exhibition Opening: "Behind... Read more →

    Past Shows

    Contemporary Arts Center

    Dreaming While Awake: A Celebration and Reflection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    January 16, 2021 to January 18, 2021
    Join us for Dreaming While Awake, A Celebration and Reflection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exploring the impact of Dr. King's work on today’s civic movements and the artists who engage and advance them. Through youth programming, art activations, an interactive altar and a culminating panel discussion, we will explore the intersections of art and social justice while celebrating and interrogating a collective vision for the future. This special weekend of programming will cultivate connections and community while exercising the role of the art institution as a convener of civic and political engagement. Free Gallery Admission: January 16-18, 2021 In celebration of Dr. King's legacy, admission to the CAC is free through the entire weekend: Saturday, January 16 through Monday, January 18 from 11 am to 5 pm. Gallery tickets must be reserved online in advance. Please review the CAC's Health & Safety Guidelines, here , before your visit. Reserve Gallery Tickets CAC Teen Board Instagram Takeover Sunday, January 17, 2021 11 am - 2 pm CDT on Instagram Tune in to our Instagram stories as members of the CAC Teen Board share their reflections on art and social activism while exploring the exhibition Make America What America Must Become , An Exhibition of Gulf South Artists. Follow the CAC on Instagram Virtual Discussion: "And the Youth Shall Lead:" Perspectives on Art & Leadership Sunday, January 17, 2021 2 pm - 3 pm CDT | Facebook Live On Facebook Live, join the CAC for a virtual discussion hosted by CAC Teen Board members Renee Angerer , Justine Lelani Allen , and Monica Garcia , who will interview Make America What America Must Become artists Langston Allston , Caroline Sinders , and Derrick-Woods Morrow , about how art influences democracy and informs their artistic practices. RSVP on Facebook Virtual Panel:...
    Contemporary Arts Center

    "Make America What America Must Become," An Exhibition of Gulf South Artists

    "Great men have done great things here, and will again, and we can make America what America must become." – James Baldwin

    America is an anxious nation chasing a more perfect union. As it's political body struggles along the arc of justice, the truths “we” hold, rarely appear self-evident. Complicated by an overtly mediated era, today's social movements demand a punctuated examination of #historicalconsequence and #power. At this moment, the distance between Art and Politics—reflection and response—seems to be collapsing. In a letter to his nephew on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, philosopher and American commentator, James Baldwin, offered an optimistic but urgent message, "Great men have done great things here, and will again, and we can make America what America must become." Read more

    Contemporary Arts Center, The Helis Foundation and The Times-Picayne New Orleans Advocate

    WOKE DREAMS: A Celebration & Reflection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    January 20, 2020
    On Monday, January 20 from 12-3:30 pm, join us at the CAC for WOKE DREAMS , a reflective celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact on today’s social movements, and the role that art plays in advancing activism and social justice. Through a panel discussion, music, and art explorations, guests are invited to reflect upon and celebrate Dr. King’s legacy. WOKE DREAMS is free and open to the public, courtesy of The Helis Foundation! Admission to the CAC's exhibitions will also be free to enjoy, featuring works by Mickalene Thomas, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Meg Turner, and collaborative artist and retail collective Les Femmes Féroces. A special menu of food and drinks will be available for sale from La Vie En Rose Cafe. This event is free and open to the public but registration is requested. RSVP here! Panel Discussion: Art, Community, and Activism Join our all-star panel for a conversation about the intersection of art, community, and activism at the center of the old and new civil rights movements, in the heart of the Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires exhibition at the CAC. Panelists include: Ranord J. Darensburg JD, RSW , Judicial Administrator, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court Stephanie McKee , Director, Junebug Productions Alanah Odoms-Hebert , Executive Director, ACLU of Louisiana Kathy Randels , Artist, Art Spot & The Graduates Dr. David Robinson , The Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit Jose Cotto: "Cultivating history, Documenting dreams" Artist Jose Cotto invites you to take part in his photographic project to capture intimate one-on-one portraits of individuals -- and their dream-like auras -- through innovative photographic techniques. Les Femmes Féroces Presents Jet Costello, Artist New Orleans-based artist Jet Costello and CAC resident art collective Les Femmes Féroces will present a memorial altar installation to honor murdered Trans women from...
    Les Femmes Féroces

    JOIE NOIRE: Move Ya Body

    January 5, 2020
    This Sunday, January 5, Les Femmes Féroces, a gallery & retail popup collaboration at the CAC, invites you to join them for an afternoon of release and rejuvenation to celebrate the new year! Artist Chipo Kandake will lead a dance healing circle to heal and remove blockages. No dance experience is required! This event is free and open to the public. To participate, please check in at the front desk located in the CAC Atrium. Participants will meet inside the CAC Oval Gallery inside the Femmes Féroces exhibition. Food will be available for purchase on-site courtesy of Le Vie En Rose Cafe! Learn more about Les Femmes Féroces
    Hancock Whitney and Contemporary Arts Center

    Hancock Whitney White Linen Night 25

    August 3, 2019
    Hancock Whitney White Linen Night Turns 25! Event Information Saturday, August 3, 2019 300 - 700 blocks of Julia Street and throughout the Arts District New Orleans FREE & open to the public Rain or shine For complete event details, visit our dedicated mini-site, here! This year the Contemporary Arts Center and title sponsor Hancock Whitney commemorate 25 years of experiencing art, building community, and celebrating culture in the Arts District New Orleans on August 3, 2019! Hancock Whitney White Linen Night is an annual outdoor celebration of art and artists in the Arts District New Orleans, featuring gallery openings, public art displays, food vendors, and much more! Proceeds from the event support the Contemporary Arts Center. Art in Focus: Celebrating 25 Years of Hancock Whitney White Linen Night and the Arts District New Orleans Thursday, August 1 6pm - 8pm at the CAC In anticipation of the 25th anniversary of Hancock Whitney White Linen Night, you are invited to join us for a special reception honoring the legacy of gallery owner Arthur Roger and the support of art collector and actress CCH Pounder on Thursday, August 1 at the CAC! Our expert panel will also explore the impact of 25 years of White Linen Night on art, collecting, and our local economy and community. Admission is free and open to the public. ART TALK: Past, Present, & Future: White Linen Night as Creative Placemaking CAC Black Box Theater | 6:30pm Panelists include Dr. Jordan Amirkhani, Curator, American University; Demond Melancon, Artist; Jeanne Nathan, Moderator, Creative Alliance of New Orleans; CCH Pounder, Art Collector; Arthur Roger, Arthur Roger Gallery; Regina Scully, Artist; and Kurt Weigle, President & CEO, Downtown Development District. Artful Awards CAC Atrium | 7:30 pm Julia Street Block Party 5:30pm - 9:30pm | 300 - 700 blocks...

    Second Thursday at the CAC

    April 11, 2019
    Second Thursday at the CAC We invite you to join us for Second Thursdays, our free, open to all, monthly celebratory event during which we welcome you to see our exhibition, Hinge Pictures: Eight Women Artists Occupy the Third Dimension. Join us on this Second Thursday for an evening of celebration, socializing, and programming designed to enhance your appreciation of contemporary art and artists. Free and Open to All Cash Bar Open All Night Music by DJ h3LLnah h3LLnah is a gender-non-conforming DJ reigning from New Orleans. They keep the clubs poppin’ with femme-centered sets and carefully-curated reimaginations of classic hits. Galleries on View, 6-9pm Immerse yourself in our visual art exhibition, Hinge Pictures: Eight Women Artists Occupy the Third Dimension, a demonstration of formal innovation and social liberation across two floors of the CAC. Women and Freedom– 6:30pm-7:00pm, Atrium Join Laura Blereau (Coordinator of Academic Programs at the Newcomb Museum) as she moderates a conversation with Kathy Randels (Co-director of The Graduates), Fox Rich and Dolfinette Martin (about the powerful story behind The Graduates’ The Life Quilt , on view in Per(sister) at the Newcomb Museum until July 6. Using our Hinge Pictures show as a platform to highlight women’s issues, they will speak on issues having to do with women and incarceration. The Graduates is a performance ensemble comprised of former members of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) Drama Club. Girl’s Night in with Nasty Woman, the Game -- 7:30-8:30pm, Rehearsal Hall Fight the patriarchy with us, get all those intense and valid feminist emotions out with Amanda Brinkman (CEO and Co-founder of Shrill Society) as she leads us in a rowdy game of Nasty Woman: A Game For Every Feminist. Nasty Woman is Amanda’s game where saying what you really think is the whole point!...

    Hinge Pictures: Eight Women Artists Occupy the Third Dimension

     

    Hinge Pictures: Eight Women Artists Occupy the Third Dimension is an exhibition in eight-parts, a confrontation with the patrimony of European modernism in the practices of eight leading women artists: Sarah Crowner, Julia Dault, Leslie Hewitt, Tomashi Jackson, Erin Shirreff, Ulla von Brandenburg, Adriana Varejão, and Claudia Wieser.

    Across eight ... Read more

    VIRTUOSO - A Paderewski Musical Project

    November 28, 2018
    The Adam Mickiewicz Institute in conjunction with the University of New Orleans and the Contemporary Arts Center present the first act of "Virtuoso" a new musical inspired by the life on famed Polish pianist, composer and statesmen Ignacy Paderewski. This new musical melds rock, R&B, and gospel with classical compositions by Paderewski, Chopin and Beethoven to tell the story of a man who was truly a rock star of his time. Written by Matthew Hardy, Directed by Laura Hope, Music Direction by Natalie True and Produced by Lauren Turner. Featuring: Hedrick Deshotel, Shelby Duhe, Polanco Jones Jr., Ann Lengel, April Louise, Kathleen Moore, Ray Proctor, Kris Watkins, Lexi Wedll and a rocking five piece band. This project has been commissioned by The Adam Mickiewicz Institute in collaboration with the following Institutions:UCLA TFT, USC School of Dramatic Arts, Ghost Road Company, Playwrights' Arena, Wang Music International, CAC New Orleans, UNO, Tricklock Company, UNM, Tisch School of the Arts, Philadelphia Theatre Company, MASS MoCA, The Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles, The Polish Cultural Institute in New York as part of the international cultural program POLSKA100 accompanying Poland's Centenary of regaining independence. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the multi-annual program NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2022.

    NOLA Nerdlesque

    November 16, 2018
    NOLA Nerdlesque is a two day performance festival. We'll be bringing burlesque performers from all across the country to the Big Easy to celebrate and satirize our favorite pop culture and nerdy properties. The festival will also include workshops and parties for performers and a few lucky VIPs.