Prospect New Orleans, a citywide contemporary art triennial featuring works by over fifty international artists, is set to begin again this fall. The festival’s fifth iteration, Prospect.5: Yesterday we said tomorrow, will commence with an opening party at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (CAC) this coming weekend, on Saturday, October 23rd.
The CAC, a long-standing multidisciplinary arts organization in the New Orleans Warehouse Arts District, is a Prospect partner and a major exhibition space for the triennial. Works by Laura Aguilar, Keni Anwar, Felipe Baeza, Kevin Beasley, Mark Bradford, Jamal Cyrus, Karon Davis, and others will be on display in the CAC galleries during the celebration and through January 23, 2022. Artists exhibiting work at the biennial’s other venues include Adriana Corral, Jennie C. Jones, Simone Leigh, Glenn Ligon, Rodney McMillian, Wangechi Mutu, and Nari Ward, among others.
George Scheer, Executive Director of the CAC, referred to the event in a statement as “a mile-marker and catalyst for advancing artists and contemporary art for society and our city.”
The CAC event is the first in a three-weekend series of triennial openings at venues including the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Amistad Research Center, Crescent Park, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Newcomb Art Museum, and the New Orleans African American Museum. In total, the triennial will spread across fifteen locations in New Orleans. Christopher Blay previously reported for Glasstire on the entire roster of artists participating in Prospect.5, which was postponed one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The public opening this weekend at the CAC will run from 7 PM until midnight, and is free with RSVP. Masks are required for all visitors, as is proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test from the past 72 hours. Music will be provided by Innerversions (formerly DJ Chinua), who has collaborated with Solange Knowles and the Arcade Fire, and DJ Legatron Prime, whose slogan is “Spinning Black Girl Magic.” There will be food trucks.
