Untitled: Unified Presence
Untitled (Unified Presence) is a declaration. It is a unified act of resistance by artists whose daily presence within the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, has too often been unseen—marginalized, subjugated, and reduced to supporting roles within the institution they sustain. These artists—working across departments and disciplines—have long endured the passive and active forces of institutional disregard, operating in spaces where their labor was necessary but their voices overlooked.
In an act of rebellion, revolution, and refusal, these thirteen artists have claimed visibility, space, and narrative. Untitled (Unified Presence) marks the emergence of a new era—an artistic and cultural renaissance through which healing, restitution, and reciprocity can begin to take shape. It is an offering of presence, a disruption of silence, and a reclamation of self.
Moving beyond roles as bodies, props, or sources of directional information, these artists reveal their full selves through works that span media, concept, and perspective. Featured artists include Alice Lapeyre, Cindy Ladner, Dameris Calliet, DiQuan Forcell, Emmie Merritt, Gabrielle Tolliver, Irvin Washington Jr., Joshua Casimier, Loren Brown Lacarbiere, Marco Saah, Simone Bassiouni, Steve Gillilland, and Wendy Washington—all currently employed by the CAC.
Their practices—developed both within and beyond the institution—offer a collective voice that is as complex and layered as the systems it challenges. Through their work, they call for a reimagining of institutional roles, where people are valued not solely for what they provide, but for who they are and what they create. This exhibition urges us to reconsider how contributions are recognized, how visibility is granted, and how artistic labor is honored.
Now in its third year, this internal exhibition reflects the CAC’s ongoing commitment to acknowledging and addressing past and present harms, while reimagining how cultural institutions operate. Curated by DiQuan Forcell, Untitled (Unified Presence) is part of the CAC’s broader efforts to transform how galleries and museums engage with artists, communities, and the publics they serve—with dignity, equity, and intentional care.