Reckoning & Remembrance: Louisiana Native Guards Commemorative Mural
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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, 10am 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