Call to Artists: Bird on a Wire

CALL TO ARTISTS REGISTERED FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2026

Bird on a Wire

at LeMieux Galleries
332 Julia Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 USA

21 May-14 June 2026 (during Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2026)

Early Deadline: 30 April 2026
Final Deadline: 3 May 2026

The idiom, “Bird on a Wire,” speaks to the tension between freedom and vulnerability, a precarious state of existence where at any moment one could fly or fall. Leonard Cohen’s 1968 song is an apology, a prayer, and an anthem. He sings, “I have tried in my way to be free.” The idiom also speaks to what it feels like to be an artist; constantly on the verge of success or failure, balancing security with unpredictability. The idiom also speaks to this historical moment where society itself feels precarious or to quote Cohen’s song, we are all “like a worm on a hook.”

With this in mind, we invite registered participants of Kolaj Fest New Orleans to submit to an exhibition that will take place at LeMieux Galleries during the festival. The exhibition is being juried by Christy Wood, the director of LeMieux Galleries, and Kolaj Magazine Editor Ric Kasini Kadour. While the artwork itself does not have to be bird-themed, the submission form will ask for a sentence or two about how the artwork speaks to the idea of a “Bird on a Wire.”

Space is limited and the logistics of this exhibition are particular. Please take a moment to read this Call in its entirety and ask any questions you may have before submitting. Your submission will signal to us that you have read the terms of the exhibition and are committed to the artist’s obligation. 

PART ONE: Submission

Submission is only open to registered attendees of Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2026. If you are not registered, please register before submitting. Visit the EVENT WEBSITE for more details.

You may submit up to three artworks for consideration. 

Artwork must be framed, ready to hang, and for sale. Artwork (including frame) may be no larger than 16″x20″.

The submission tool will ask you for the title, materials, dimensions, year, price, and a 50-100 word statement about the specific artwork. You will also be asked for a high resolution image (300dpi or better at 5″ wide or a minimum of 1500 pixels wide). The image must be labeled “NAME-OF-ARTIST-TITLE-OF-ARTWORK”.

If you do not follow these instructions, your work may not be considered for the exhibition. 

The early deadline to submit is 30 April 2026 and the final deadline to submit is 3 May 2026. Notification of acceptance will be sent before Midnight EDT on 5 May 2026.

Go HERE to submit for “Bird on a Wire”.

PART TWO: Logistics

If the artwork is accepted, the artist will commit to shipping or delivering the framed, ready to hang, for sale artwork to:

LeMieux Galleries
ATTN: Kolaj Fest New Orleans
332 Julia Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

The artwork must arrive on or (preferably) before Monday, 18 May 2026.

The artwork will be displayed at LeMieux Galleries along with a card that states the artist’s name, title of the work, materials used in the work, dimensions of the work, year the work was created, and price. A printed guide with the artists’ statements will be available in the gallery and online. Artists will be invited to speak about their work at an event at the gallery during Kolaj Fest New Orleans. 

The artwork will be for sale and, if sold, LeMieux Galleries will take a 50% commission of the sale price and pay the artist the remainder within 60 days of the completion of the sale. 

If the artwork is not sold, the artist is responsible for collecting the artwork on Sunday, 14 June 2026 between the hours of 10AM and 1PM. (Note: The Great Collage Swap will take place 10:30AM to Noon on that day.)

Those artists who do not wish to collect their artwork may choose to pay Kolaj Institute to ship the artwork, at which point the artist will be sent an electronic invoice for the shipping and handling in the week following Kolaj Fest New Orleans. The artwork will be shipped once that invoice is paid. You must request return shipment of your unsold work at the time you ship the work to the gallery. 

Artwork not collected by 1PM on Sunday, 14 June 2026 will become the property of Kolaj Institute. 

Questions? Please email info@kolajinstitute.org.