{"id":18837,"date":"2026-09-01T17:23:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T21:23:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=18837"},"modified":"2026-09-01T17:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T21:24:45","slug":"the-river-bends-and-so-must-we-in-person-artist-lab-in-new-orleans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/institute\/the-river-bends-and-so-must-we-in-person-artist-lab-in-new-orleans\/","title":{"rendered":"The River Bends and So Must We: In-person Artist Lab in New Orleans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ARTIST LAB UPDATE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The River Bends & So Must We: In-Person Collage Artist Lab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An in-person artist lab in New Orleans, Wednesday, 9 September to Sunday, 13 September 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rivers are cornerstones of human civilization. Rivers sustain life and connect us to one another. Fifty-two billion gallons of water pass through New Orleans each day via the Mississippi River. The river shapes the city\u2019s history, its culture, its soul. The country sends its goods down river and New Orleans sends its culture up. New Orleans would not be without its river. Rivers transcend time. They exist in a perpetual state of change. Heraclitus wrote, \u201cNo man ever steps in the same river twice, for it\u2019s not the same river and he is not the same man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe River Bends and So Must We\u201d is a project of Kolaj Institute that reflects on the Mississippi River as a dynamic force of culture. In 2026 and 2027, we will bring together artists from the International Collage Community to make artwork that imagines and speaks to what lessons the River can teach us about our own humanity. We will consider the history of the River in New Orleans from primordial times, pre-Columbian civilization, and to the present moment. We will examine how the River is an economic force, a tool of power, a natural wonder, and source of magic. We will take up Maya Angelou\u2019s (1928\u20132014) invitation in her poem, \u201cOn the Pulse of Morning\u201d, and \u201cSpeak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of the Collage Artist Lab is to equip artists with tools and strategies for picking up the unfinished work of history and speak to contemporary civic discourse around social, economic, and environmental issues. Through interactive sessions, collections research, and collaborative collage making, artists will explore their process and practice; present a slideshow of their work; receive supportive, critical, curatorial feedback about their ideas; and discuss contemporary issues. The Lab will speak to issues of appropriation, copyright, and fair use and explore how the artist\u2019s choice and understanding of material shapes the narrative of the artwork. Artists will leave the Lab with a new perspective on their art practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artists will explore historical materials about the Mississippi River and work together to make a research archive for the project. Drawing from that archive, artists will develop plans for art making. Through a series of presentations, site visits, and walks, artists will explore using archives and history; the role of artist research; develop strategies of making, exhibiting, and publishing collage art that speaks to a sense of place and history; hear about Kolaj Institute Projects and how artists can make art for books and exhibitions around photography and collage, architecture, trash as materials, folklore, poetry, and place as archive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in New Orleans, 9-13 September, artists will work side-by-side to make an artwork that will be considered for the \u201cPlace as Archive\u201d exhibition at Kolaj Institute Gallery in October 2026as well as other forms of diffusion. Artists will attend NOLA River Fest 2026<\/a> on 12 September. Hosted by the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the annual NOLA River Fest \u201cremember(s) and celebrate(s) the influences of the Mississippi River on New Orleans\u2019 geography, economy, and culture.\u201d Artists will also be introduced to the Williams Research Center at the Historic New Orleans Collection, where they will explore the River as Culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Lab, artists will be invited to submit 3-5 collages and a statement that will be considered for future exhibitions at Kolaj Institute Gallery, and a book about the \u201cThe River Bends & So Must We\u201d Project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OUTCOME<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Artist Labs are designed to develop a proposal for a contemporary art project or body of artwork. Artwork made during and after the lab will be considered for exhibitions at Kolaj Institute Gallery in New Orleans and future publications on Place as Archive. By participating in the River Bends and So Must We Artist Lab, artists will become members of Kolaj Institute\u2019s Place as Archive Project and be invited to submit to exhibitions, contribute to programs at Kolaj Fest New Orleans or Kolaj LIVE Online, and receive curatorial and community support for their projects through one-on-one meetings and virtual meet-ups.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Geena<\/em> by Andi Vicente
15.4″x11″; digital collage; 2019. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Andi Vicente, Montreal, Quebec, Canada<\/strong>
andivicente.com<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
from Bella Daa\u2019kness : From Montauk to Beyond<\/em> by Gia Anansi Shakur
collage. Courtesy of the artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gia Anansi-Shakur, New York, New York, USA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Flor by Jennella Young
8.5″x11″; watercolor, ink, and collage; 2025. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jennella Young, Brooklyn, New York, USA<\/strong>
INSTAGRAM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Somatics 2<\/em> by Johanna Merfeld
12″x12″; collage on canvas; 2014. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Johanna Merfeld, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA<\/strong>
INSTAGRAM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Process notes for “untitled” by Maya Sosland
dimensions variable; iPhone images on paper; 2024. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maya Sosland, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rivers and Valleys<\/em> by Mirzam Perez
108′”x48″, fabric, wire, ribbon; 2025. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mirzam Perez, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA<\/strong>
www.mirzamperez.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat <\/em>(excerpt) by Patrick Irwin
26 minutes; field recordings and modular synthesis; 2026. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Irwin, Nashville, Tennessee, USA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Elvish Lyrist (Talisman to Ward Off Love) <\/em>by Seth Ter Haar
12″x9″; Magic the Gathering Card, erotica from Fred Bookhardt’s estate, fishing and hunting magazines; 2026. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seth Ter Haar, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA<\/strong>
www.sethterhaar.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT RIC KASINI KADOUR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ric Kasini Kadour, a 2021 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Curatorial Fellow, is a writer, artist, publisher, cultural worker, and the director of Kolaj Institute. His curation work includes exhibitions in Louisiana, New Mexico, Quebec, Scotland, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Kadour is the editor and publisher of Kolaj Magazine<\/em>, as well as the editor of the Kolaj Institute journals, PoetryXCollage <\/em>and Folklore Collage Society<\/em>. He has written for a number of galleries and his writing has appeared in publications including Hyperallergic<\/em>, OEI<\/em>, Art New England<\/em> (where he was the former Vermont editor), and Wissenschaft & Frieden<\/em>. Kadour maintains an active art practice and his photography, collage, film and sculpture have been exhibited in and are part of private collections in Australia, Europe and North America. In January-February 2020, he was artist-in-residence at MERZ Gallery in Sanquhar, Scotland. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion from the University of Vermont. Kadour splits his time between Montreal and New Orleans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ARTIST LAB UPDATE The River Bends & So Must We: In-Person Collage Artist Lab An in-person artist lab in New Orleans, Wednesday, 9 September to Sunday, 13 September 2026 Rivers are cornerstones of human civilization. Rivers sustain life and connect…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institute","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/River-Bends-4x6-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-4TP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18719,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/calls-for-artists\/call-to-artists-the-river-bends-and-so-must-we-in-person-artist-lab-in-new-orleans\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":0},"title":"Call to Artists: The River Bends and So Must We: In-Person Artist Lab in New Orleans","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"4 August 2026","format":"gallery","excerpt":"CALL TO ARTISTS The River Bends & So Must We: In-Person Collage Artist Lab An in-person artist lab in New Orleans, Wednesday, 9 September to Sunday, 13 September 2026 This call to artists is closed Rivers are cornerstones of human civilization. Rivers sustain life and connect us to one another.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Calls for Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Calls for Artists","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/calls-for-artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/River-Bends-4x6-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/River-Bends-4x6-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/River-Bends-4x6-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/River-Bends-4x6-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18811,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/collage-events\/come-to-me-here-beside-the-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":1},"title":"Come to me, here beside the River","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"28 August 2026","format":"gallery","excerpt":"COLLAGE ON VIEW \"Come to me, here beside the River\" at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (on the iron fence outside the U.S. Mint) in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA8-22 September 2026 \"Come to me, here beside the River\" brings together eight International Collage Artists, each of whom offers a unique\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/collage-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Come-to-Me-Exhibition-16x9-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15236,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/uncategorized\/take-me-to-the-water-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":2},"title":"Take Me to the Water at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"7 May 2024","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Masculine Study by LaVonna Varnado-Brown12\"x12\"; digital media; 2023. Courtesy of the artist. WORKSHOP AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2024 Take Me to the Water: A Baptism in Collage Friday, 14 June 2024, 3:15-4:30PMNew Orleans Healing CenterLaVonna Varnado-Brown EVENT WEBSITE\u00a0|\u00a0REGISTER Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Baptism.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13041,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/new-orleans-collage-artist-lab-city-as-archive\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":3},"title":"New Orleans Collage Artist Lab: City as Archive","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"30 October 2022","format":"gallery","excerpt":"COLLAGE ARTIST LAB New Orleans Collage Artist Lab: City as Archive Kolaj Institute is pleased to announce the eight artists selected to participate in the New Orleans Collage Artist Lab: City as Archive, November 2022 Public Talk:The City as Archive by Ric Kasini Kadour at the Milton H. Latter Memorial\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Content"","block_context":{"text":"Content","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Artist-Lab-November.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Artist-Lab-November.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Artist-Lab-November.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Artist-Lab-November.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18764,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/calls-for-artists\/call-to-artists-montreal-city-as-archive-artist-lab-october-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":4},"title":"Call to Artists: Montreal: City as Archive Artist Lab-October 2026","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"20 August 2026","format":"gallery","excerpt":"CALL TO ARTISTS Montreal: City as Archive Artist Lab-October 2026 A five-day, in-person Artist Lab at Atelier Galerie 2112 in Montreal, Quebec, CanadaTuesday, 6 October to Sunday, 11 October 2026 with two virtual meetings on Zoom (dates to be determined) Final Deadline to Apply: Sunday, 13 September 2026 Montreal: City\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Calls for Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Calls for Artists","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/calls-for-artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Montreal-City-as-Archive-October-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Montreal-City-as-Archive-October-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Montreal-City-as-Archive-October-5x4-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Montreal-City-as-Archive-October-5x4-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13885,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/tunnel-books-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/","url_meta":{"origin":18837,"position":5},"title":"Tunnel Books at Kolaj Fest New Orleans","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"8 May 2023","format":"gallery","excerpt":"tunnel book by Jessa Dupuis. Courtesy of the artist. COLLAGE DEMONSTRATION AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023 Tunnel Books with Jessa Dupuis LEARN MORE\u00a0|\u00a0REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kolaj Fest New Orleans"","block_context":{"text":"Kolaj Fest New Orleans","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/jessa-dupuis-tunnel-book-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/jessa-dupuis-tunnel-book-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/jessa-dupuis-tunnel-book-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/jessa-dupuis-tunnel-book-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18837"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18848,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18837\/revisions\/18848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}