Application Deadline: August 21, 2026 by 11:59 PM CST

Project Overview

The Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice and the Krewe of Red Beans invites New Orleans’ muralists artists to submit proposals for a major commemorative mural honoring the Louisiana Native Guards — the first Black Union soldiers officially mustered in the United States. This is a rare opportunity to create enduring public art on a landmark building in the Bywater neighborhood that will be seen by tens of thousands of New Orleanians and visitors each year. 

 Eligibility 

To qualify, applicants must:   

• Be 18+ and legally authorized to work in the U.S. 
• Reside in Orleans Parish or the greater New Orleans metro area 
• Meet all contractual obligations and adhere to the timeline provided.   

We welcome proposals from individual artists and artist teams. We especially encourage applications from New Orleans-based artists and artists with ties to the communities whose history this mural honors. 

Reckoning & Remembrance: Louisiana Native Guards Commemorative Mural

Information Sessions 

Interest artists are invited to attend artist information meetings via Zoom and on-site at Beanlandia. 

• Session #1: Monday, August 10th  via zoom LINK
• Session #2: Friday, August 14th  at Beanlandia- 3300 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70117

Questions outside of sessions:  Founder of Krewe of Red Beans and Beanlandia – Devin De Wulf devin@kreweofredbeans.org 

Project Background    In September 1862, New Orleans became the site of an extraordinary act of resistance and courage. General Benjamin Butler, the Union commander who controlled the city, issued a call for free men of color to officially join the Union Army. The response was immediate and overwhelming.  

At 3300 Royal Street — the very wall where this mural will live — became the headquarters for the Louisiana Native Guards, later the Corps d’Afrique, and they were a multiracial coalition determined to end slavery. These men would go on to fight at the Battle of Port Hudson in May 1863 – the first major battle with Black Soldiers.    This mural should celebrate that moment and the people who made it. The central historical figures we want represented include:   

• Cpt. André Cailloux - Free man of color, celebrated officer of the Louisiana Native Guards; killed heroically at Port Hudson (May 1863) in one of the first major assaults led by Black soldiers. His death and funeral galvanized Black New Orleans. He was also the self-described, “Blackest man in New Orleans”. 
• Gen. Benjamin Butler -Union Commander who authorized the recruitment of free Black men into the U.S. Army — a radical act that helped change the course of the Civil War. General Butler’s legacy has been written mostly by Confederates who opposed Black soldiers. We hope to help set the record straight. 
• P.B.S. Pinchback - Officer, Native Guards, and later the first Black governor of Louisiana during Reconstruction.  He was a main recruiter of Black Soldiers in New Orleans during the war. 
• Charles Sauvinet - New Orleans’ first Black civil sheriff, officer in the Native Guards, and civil rights pioneer who successfully challenged segregation in Louisiana courts. 
• The Soldiers -The hundreds of free men of color and formerly enslaved men who answered the call. Their names and faces deserve to be seen. In particular, we are excited to honor two men from the Congo who joined. 

  We encourage artists to explore primary source imagery, period photography, and the rich visual culture of New Orleans’ African diaspora traditions in developing their proposals. The aesthetic should be rooted in the history and feel of New Orleans — vibrant, layered, and alive.  We are open to a range of styles — from realist portraiture to symbolic and abstract approaches — as long as the work is grounded in the history and honors the dignity of the people depicted. We are also happy to meet with artists ahead of time to discuss the history/research that has already gone into this project. Since much of this history has been buried/whitewashed, we welcome folks who would like to learn more. To schedule a time, email beans@kreweofredbeans.org.  The deadline for questions is August 14th at 5pm.  

Project Scope 

• Commission of 1 permanent, site-specific mural 
• Location:  3300 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 
• Durable, low-maintenance, context-responsive work 
• Community engagement required in design process 
• Expected Completion by November 6, 2026 

This commission is for a permanent mural with a lifespan of 20+ years. Artists must propose materials, fabrication, and installation methods suitable for New Orleans’ climate and changing weather patterns. For example, including heat, humidity, heavy rainfall, flooding, and storms. Artworks must be durable, structurally sound, long-lasting, and low maintenance. Materials and maintenance plans will be reviewed and approved by The Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice and the Krewe of Red Beans as part of the design proposal. 

 Artwork Parameters 

• 1 permanent mural 
• We encourage artists to explore primary source imagery, period photography, and the rich visual culture of New Orleans’ African diaspora traditions in developing their proposals. The aesthetic should be rooted in the history and feel of New Orleans — vibrant, layered, and alive. Wall size is approx. 2,011.5 sq ft (across multiple sections) 

 Site Details   Location: 3300 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 

For questions about this RFP, the project, or the submission process, please contact: 

Project Manager – Shaddai Livingston shaddai@accneworleans.com 

Founder of Krewe of Red Beans and Beanlandia – Devin De Wulf devin@kreweofredbeans.org 

Deadline: September 9th 2026 @ 11:59pm

Project Overview    

Arts New Orleans and the City of New Orleans, seeks to commission an artist or artist team to design, fabricate, and install 1 permanent, site-specific public artwork at Canal St. and S. Norman C. Francis Parkway in Mid-City.      New Orleans is a city defined by water. The history, culture, and landscape shape our relationship to how we engage with and are surrounded by waterways. Funded by the City of New Orleans, Water Connects Us invites artists to explore and celebrate this connection through a new public artwork honoring the people, land, and stories shaped by water across generations. The permanent artwork will be sited on the neutral ground at Canal Street and S. Norman C. Francis Parkway in Mid-City. A historically significant and highly visible intersection, on the former location of a Confederate monument to Jefferson Davis. The selected artist(s) will develop sculptural artwork that reflects the focus of this call, neighborhood’s identity, and foster a sense of belonging, visibility, and dialogue in the public realm. All interested artists are invited to apply for this public art commission. Priority will be given to local artists who live in Orleans Parish or the Greater New Orleans metro area. We also strongly encourage applications from artists who represent the diversity of New Orleans and the local community. Please note that artists who currently have an active Percent for Art contract with Arts New Orleans will not be considered for this opportunity. 

This opportunity will be conducted as a two-part competition. In Part 1: Request for Qualifications (RFQ), interested artists are invited to submit materials demonstrating their qualifications. From this pool, three finalists will be selected to advance. In Part 2: Request for Proposals (RFP), each selected finalist will receive a $1,000 stipend to develop a detailed proposal for the Water Connects Us Public Art Commission.     

Water Connects Us Call for Artists

Eligibility     

To qualify, applicants must:     

• Be 18+ and legally authorized to work in the U.S. 
• Reside in Orleans Parish or the greater New Orleans metro areas
• Meet all contractual obligations and adhere to the timeline provided.   

To support a broad range of artists over time, applicants are not eligible to apply if they are currently under contract for another Percent for Art project. However, artists with an active contract dated and signed prior to December 2023 remain eligible to apply for this opportunity. All interested artists are invited to apply to this public art commission. Arts New Orleans is committed to centering racial equity in the selection of artists and artworks. Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other artists of color are highly encouraged to apply.       

Information Sessions 

Two information sessions will be held while the RFQ is live. These information sessions are to learn more about the project and the application process. There will be time for Q&A at the end.      

Session #1: Tuesday, August 11th, 2026 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom   Register to receive the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cml79rE6R9OMgVISFIemMA 

Session #2: Thursday, August 20th, 4:00-5:00pm, Arts New Orleans Office at 1474 N. Broad Street    

Questions?

Contact Arts new Orleans Senior Public Art Project Manager, paris cian, paris@artsneworleans.org

This application provides artists and creative makers the opportunity to be juried and approved to participate in the Arts Market of New Orleans. Once accepted, artists gain eligibility to sign up for any of our markets throughout the year.

The Arts Market of New Orleans is an outdoor festival held monthly in City Park, featuring original works by artists and creative vendors from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  We also host Holiday Markets in City Park, Marsalis Harmony Park, and LUNA Fête: light art and technology festival.

There is a $20 non-refundable application fee for all submissions.

We are currently accepting applications in all mediums — including, but not limited to, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, woodworking, and bath & body.

All applications are reviewed by a jury on a bi-monthly cycle.  Please note: We will not be reviewing or accepting new applications until January 2026.

View our upcoming dates and special events here:  👉 View Arts Market Page on website

👉 See our Events Calendar 

👉 Follow our page on Instagram and Facebook 

Requirements

All applicants must:  • Be current residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama  • Create all work solely themselves  • Ensure that 80% or more of all work is handmade (not commercially acquired or appropriated)  • Review and agree to the Arts Market Rules prior to submitting an application (handbook available on our website)

Application Guidelines

We reserve the right to reject applicants who do not meet the requirements listed above or whose work does not align with the caliber, originality, or quality standards upheld by the Arts Market of New Orleans.

Applications may be rejected for the following reasons:  • Incomplete submissions  • Missing application fee  • Failure to meet posted deadlines  • Images submitted in non-digital formats  • Missing booth setup image  • Subject matter and/or technique already thoroughly represented by current Arts Market artists

For more information about the Arts Market, please visit our website.

Further inquiries may be directed to raven@artsneworleans.org.

Best of luck to you!