Prospect 1 New Orleans
November 1, 2008 – January 18, 2009
VERNISSAGE: Thursday, October 30
and Friday, 31, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Friday, October 31, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
at the Charles J. Colton School Auditorium (2300 St. Claude Street)
PRESS PRE-REGISTRATION FORMS DUE: Monday, October 27, 2008
PRESS DESK: Hefler Warehouse (851 Magazine Street)
Prospect.1 New Orleans, the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States, will launch in New Orleans on November 1, 2008. Produced by U.S. Biennial, Inc., Prospect.1 is directed by international curator Dan Cameron, Director of Visual Arts at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in New Orleans. Conceived in the tradition of the great international biennials, such as the Venice Biennale and São Paolo Biennial, Prospect.1 will showcase new artistic practices, as well as an array of programs, which will benefit the local community. Over the course of its eleven-week run, the biennial will draw attention, creative energy, and economic activity to the City of New Orleans, a historic regional artistic center, and the struggling Gulf Region.
New Orleans was the first U.S city to host a recurring international art exhibition, beginning in 1887 with the Exhibition of the Art Association of New Orleans. In this tradition, Prospect.1 will feature art originating from New Orleans and Louisiana within an international context and will provide the Louisiana public with new art conceived and developed for the city. 81 local, national, and international artists, hailing from more than thirty countries, have been selected to participate in the inaugural edition of the biennial. Their works will be shown in some 25 museums, art centers, warehouses, and public spaces throughout the city, for a combined total of more than 100,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Vernissage and Opening Weekend
The Prospect.1 Vernissage will take place on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by the public Opening Weekend on November 1 and 2. Among the not-to-be-missed events will be the concert-filled All-Night Dance Party on Saturday, November 1 at Mardi Gras World (233 Newton Street), kicking-off at 10:00 p.m. with a performance by the legendary Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas. The music will continue with performances by Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Kirk Joseph’s 504 Brass Band, DJ Brice Nice, and more.
For information on artists, venues, and a full schedule of Vernissage and Opening Weekend events, please visit www.prospectneworleans.org.
Press Access
The Vernissage will take place on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. With a Prospect.1 Press Pass, accredited journalists will have access to all venues during these days. Press may pre-register by visiting www.neworleansfirst.com/pdfs/Prospect.1_PressRegistrationForm.pdf, where the pre-registration form is available. It should be faxed to Blue Medium at 212-675-1855 or emailed to elizabeth@bluemedium.com no later than Monday, October 27. Members of the press who complete pre-registration will be added to the press list for admittance to the biennial and a Press Pass will be ready for them at the Press Desk in the Hefler Warehouse (851 Magazine Street). On-site registration at the Press Desk is required after Monday, October 27. The Press Pass will also grant access to the Press Conference at the Charles J. Colton School Auditorium (2300 St. Claude Street) on Friday, October 31 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
In order to receive a pass on-site, press are required to present a press card / business card and identification; a letter of assignment from an editor or producer on the assigning media outlet’s letterhead along with a valid email address; or official press credential.
Transportation
Every day that Prospect.1 is open, shuttle buses will operate on rotation, traveling to each venue. Shuttle service will begin at 10:45 a.m., and shuttles will depart the W Hotel (333 Poydras Street) every half hour. In the Lower 9th Ward, there will be a mini shuttle, departing the L9 Center for the Arts every 20 minutes, traveling to each of the sites in that area.
Prospect.1 Hours:
Vernissage
October 30 and 31, 2008, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Opening Weekend
Saturday, November 1, 2008: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2, 2008: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
November 3, 2008 – January 18:
Wednesday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hours may vary by venue
Funding
This exhibition has been made possible with the support of Prospect.1 New Orleans
Founding Benefactor Toby Devan Lewis.
Leadership support for the exhibition has been provided by the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation under the direction of Artist and Trustee Lauren Bon; and the State of Louisiana, Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; and W Hotels, Hospitality Sponsor.
Major exhibition support has been provided by Peter B. Lewis; The Getty Foundation; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.; The Rockefeller Foundation; Mondriaan Foundation; Zemurray Foundation; Louise Blouin Media; A Diamond Is Forever; Starry Night Fund of the Tides Foundation; and Agnes Gund.
The education program has been made possible, in part, by the Ruth U. Fertel Foundation.
Additional support has been provided by Walda and Sydney Besthoff, III; Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan and Taipei Cultural Center, TECO in New York; Susan Brennan; Beth Rudin DeWoody; Lyn and John Fischbach; Paul J. Leaman, Jr.; Adam Lewis; The O’Grady Foundation; Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen; Sotheby’s; Billie Milam Weisman and The Frederick R. Weisman Philanthropic Foundation; Downtown Development District of New Orleans; groSolar; Bloomberg; Peter Norton Family Foundation on behalf of Eileen Harris Norton; The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.; Moët Hennessy USA; Global Green USA; Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation; Anonymous; Bertie Deming Smith; Virginia Lyons Speed; Prospect.1 Kingfishers Leadership Committee; and Prospect.1 Big Shots Gallery Circle; among others.
The inaugural Prospect.1 gala has been sponsored, in part, by The Prudential Foundation; and supported by Robert and Jeri Nims Foundation; Walda and Sydney Besthoff, III; John Cheim and Howard Read; Frances Dittmer; Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen; Mr. and Mrs. John Bertuzzi; Dathel and Tommy Coleman; Grand Arts; The JDL Foundation; Double E Foundation; Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee; and Octavia Art Gallery; among others.
About Prospect.1 New Orleans
Prospect.1 New Orleans was conceived by Dan Cameron to reinvigorate the city, a historic regional artistic center, following the human, civic, and economic devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The primary goal of the biennial exhibition is to redevelop the city as a cultural destination where the visual arts are celebrated and can once again thrive. New Orleans was the first U.S. city to host a recurring international art exhibition, beginning in 1887 with the Exhibition of the Art Association of New Orleans. In this tradition, Prospect.1 will provide the public with work by 81 artists conceived and developed for the city. The largest international art biennial ever held in the United States, Prospect.1 will reach an estimated audience of 100,000 visitors, half of whom will likely be Louisiana state residents.
For more information on Prospect.1 New Orleans and the opening weekend, or to make a gift, please visit www.prospectneworleans.org or contact U.S. Biennial, Inc. at (212) 680-5305 or mail@prospectneworleans.org.
Media Contact:
Kellie Honeycutt or Elizabeth Reina
Blue Medium, Inc.
T: (212) 675-1800
F: (212) 675-1855
E: kellie@bluemedium.com
