“The River Bends and So Must We” is a project of Kolaj Institute that reflects on the Mississippi River as a dynamic force of culture. In 2026 and 2027, Kolaj Institute will bring together artists from the International Collage Community to make artwork that imagines and speaks to what lessons the River can teach us about our own humanity. We will consider the history of the River in New Orleans from primordial times, pre-Columbian civilization, and to the present moment. We will examine how the River is an economic force, a tool of power, a natural wonder, and source of magic. We will take up Maya Angelou’s (1928–2014) invitation in her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”, and “Speak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.”
Contributing artists:
Anthony D Kelly (Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland)
LaVonna Varnado Brown (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
Marta Janik (Warsaw, Poland)
Lilya Chavaga (Brussels, Belgium)
Matthew Hendricks (Cape Town, South Africa)
Allison Spence (Tallahassee, Florida)
Seth Ter Haar (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
Jeanna Penn (Oakland, California, USA)
“Come to me, here beside the River” brings together nine International Collage Artists, each of whom offers a unique take on the Mississippi River as a dynamic force of culture. The exhibition will take place 8-22 September 2026 on the iron fence of the U.S. Mint, home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
After the exhibition at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the exhibition will travel to the New Orleans Healing Center where it will be on view during Kolaj Fest New Orleans, 23-27 June 2027.