NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) is opening a permanent art collection featuring more than 70 artists with ties to Louisiana. Known as The Permanent Art Collection, it will offer visitors the chance to experience another side of Louisiana’s culture while providing greater visibility for artists.
The installation begins in September, with a mural by artists Lillian Aguinaga, Monica Rose Kelly and Sasha “Swan” Kopfler. The collection will extend throughout the Convention Center, bringing the artistic experience of Louisiana to an average of over 800,000 visitors each year. It will feature an eclectic mix of works, including large-scale sculptures, fine art, vinyl graphics and murals.
“The Convention Center is a place where New Orleans introduces itself to the world and having this permanent collection gives our artists the chance to be a part of that introduction too,” said Jim Cook, President and CEO of the Convention Center. “Our connection to the community extends beyond the economic impact we bring. Initiatives like this one are about celebrating the people, culture and creativity that make our city and state unique.”
The Permanent Art Collection at NOENMCC brings together established and emerging artists whose work reflects both the cultural identity of Louisiana and a broader range of artistic perspectives. The collection includes purchased, donated and commissioned works.
A few of the locally connected artists, including Brandan “Bmike” Odums, John T. Scott, Frank Relle, George Dunbar and Carl Joe Williams, draw from the culture, landscape and history that has shaped the Gulf South.
The collection features artists whose work has reached audiences worldwide, including Hunt Slonem, Jacqueline Bishop, Lesley Dill and Francis Pavy. Dill’s work, which is represented by Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans, is held in the collections of major institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the High Museum in Atlanta.
Together, these artists give the Convention Center’s collection a reach that extends well beyond the walls of NOENMCC, while maintaining a strong connection to the surrounding community.
Artists were selected from a public art call earlier this year in partnership with NANO LLC and Dumez Development Group. The art call collected nearly 1,000 individual applications with over 4,000 works and proposals submitted, all of which portrayed a deep affiliation with Louisiana.
“Partnering with the Convention Center and Dumez Group to bring these works to life is especially meaningful, as it allows us to complete the original vision for the Convention Center’s transformation by bringing local art and culture to a global audience,” said Terri Dreyer, Owner and Managing Partner at NANO LLC. “It is incredibly rewarding to see that vision come full circle and to create new opportunities for local artists to have their work experienced by people from around the world.”
With these works, the Convention Center is transformed into a showcase of creative perspectives from across Louisiana.
For more information, visit mccno.com.