Big Easy Enlists Artists

A new biennial meant to restore New Orleans' cultural life—and expand it—opens this weekend in the city, the New York Times reports. With 81 artists participating in Prospect.1 and 50,000 out-of-town visitors expected, the exhibition could be a pick-me-up for a city still trying to come back from Hurricane Katrina. But New Orleans is as much a collaborator as a beneficiary.

Nine of the 81 artists represented in the huge show are from Louisiana, and some of the art—such as a "ghost house" in the Lower Ninth Ward—refers to Katrina. But one local photographer said he'd wait to see the effect on the city. “We have so many talented local artists, I’m hoping there will be some kickback for them, too,” he said.
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