CANOA (Caribbean and New Orleanian Arts) is a new artist-led initiative and project space located in the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans. Designed to be a resource center, a gathering place, a workshop space, and a lecture and performance venue, CANOA exists to support arts practitioners from the local Caribbean diaspora, facilitate exchanges among New Orleanian and Caribbean artists, and foster new cultural and artistic connections between New Orleans and the wider Caribbean. Born from the recognition that New Orleans is, in fact, a Caribbean city, CANOA works to bring native New Orleanian and immigrant Caribbean artists together in solidarity around a shared understanding of our mutual histories and cultural practices and will pilot a program providing support and resources for artist practitioners from local Caribbean diaspora communities.

Civic Practice

The nature of my work as an artist and culture worker has always been in relationship with the community, more than anything with those that live at a disadvantage to the larger establishment. My work in photography and documentary filmmaking shows the social imaginary and cultural context of those that are oppressed, either because of the color of their skin, their economic status, their social class, their gender, or other types of discrimination such as linguistic prejudice or discrimination towards immigrants.

Learn more about CANOA from an interview with Carey Fountain.