NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Given the evolving situation on the ground in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Prospect New Orleans’s 2021 iteration, Prospect.5: Yesterday we said tomorrow, is now scheduled to open across the city in stages from late October to mid-November and will remain on view until January 23, 2022. The opening weekend festivities and Prospect 5. Gala, originally planned for October 21–24, have been postponed until January 2022.
The first wave of openings will take place on October 23. Prospect anticipates that all projects will be live and open to the public by November 13.
“Prospect is making these decisions in consideration of the artists, staff, framers, fabricators, art handlers, builders, and other art workers that will help us produce a successful Prospect,” said Executive Director of Prospect New Orleans. “Despite the challenges of the Delta variant and Hurricane Ida, we are committed to realizing this exhibition, and I hope our colleagues, friends, and patrons will visit Prospect, especially during our closing events. New Orleans needs support at this moment.”
As New Orleans and the surrounding area works to rebuild after Ida, to restore power to neighborhoods, and to mourn the lives lost, the priority of Prospect New Orleans is to accommodate the venues, local vendors and contractors, and partners on the ground as everyone gets back on their feet, along with amplifying the efforts of organizations working to help meet the immediate needs and bring relief to the community of New Orleans.
Beyond the delayed opening schedule, the curatorial framework and artist list of Prospect.5 remain unchanged, as they continue to resonate with the ever-changing circumstances of our moment. Institutional partnerships will carry on as planned once venues have opened, and Prospect will continue to collaborate with Programming Partners around public engagement.
Prospect New Orleans’s Prospect.5: Yesterday we said tomorrow is curated by Naima J. Keith and Diana Nawi, the Susan Brennan Artistic Directors of Prospect.5, and will feature the work of 51 artists and artist collectives in museums, cultural spaces, and public sites throughout New Orleans. In intimate conversation with the surrounding city, Yesterday we said tomorrow centers around questions of history. The participating artist list represents a range of practices and focuses heavily on the work of African diaspora artists and those working on the ground in the city. Twenty percent of included artists are based in New Orleans.
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Prospect New Orleans team encourages supporters/attendees to share resources with local communities as rebuilding efforts commence. Here are some suggested organizations currently on the ground working to meet the immediate needs of Louisiana residents:
Another Gulf is Possible
@anothergulf.ispossible
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTIO1QRFAk3/?hl=en
T.Q.Y. – New Orleans
@transqueeryouth.nola
https://www.instagram.com/transqueeryouth.nola/?hl=en
Imagine Water Works
@imaginewaterworks
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTJIJr-jwBu/?hl=en
Feed the Second Line
@redbeansparade
https://www.instagram.com/redbeansparade/?hl=en
Cajun Navy Relief
@cajunnavyrelief
https://www.instagram.com/cajunnavyrelief/?hl=en
