In 2003, Carrie Mae Weems, an internationally known artist, was commissioned by the Newcomb Art Gallery of Tulane University to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase. Her installation, The Louisiana Project, incorporates still photography, sound and video projection as part of an exploration of culture, gender, and race. The exhibition features dozens of large scale photographs that evoke the courtly, European image of eighteenth century New Orleans society but are charged with Weems’ signature edge – silhouetted figures in period dress, masked men and women engaged in provocative and ambiguous interactions. Other images refer to political figures -- such as Napoleon and Jefferson -- that drove the events of the day. While the installation examines the complex history of New Orleans the implications extend far beyond Louisiana.

Organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans. Toured under the auspices of Pamela Auchincloss/Arts Management, New York.

Carrie Mae Weems will offer a visual presentation highlighting her work including this installation on Saturday, February 12, 2005 at 5:30 PM in the Helen Froehlich Auditorium. Free and open to the public.

Exhibition sponsor is
 

Carrie Mae Weems, American (b. 1953), Untitled, ink on canvas, 60 x 84 in.