Joy as Subject: Mardi Gras

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” (Joseph Campbell)

There is no more of a joyful time in New Orleans than Carnival. From Epiphany (January 6th) to forty days before the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox (or what most people call Mardi Gras), New Orleanians celebrate. They host elaborate balls; they gather with family; they eat king cake; and most famously, they parade in the streets. These parades can be large-scale spectacles on professionally-designed and constructed floats pulled by tractors or homemade contraptions that are pushed or pulled by walkers. Costumes are essential. During parades, riders (or walkers) throw beads and other trinkets to the crowd. Lost in the moment, middle-aged men become eager boys reaching their hands up to catch a coconut. This is joy.

Consider this: Immune cells have neurotransmitters that pick up on whether we are stressed or happy, depressed or relaxed. As such, our emotional well-being is intrinsically tied to our physical wellness. What can artists do with this fact of life? Joy is a powerful emotion. From great pleasure to simple satisfaction, joy can reduce stress and pain and, as one Harvard study found, help us live longer. Can art be a source of joy?

In this in-person residency, collage artists will explore joy as subject and consider how to bring joy into one’s practice. Working with the Mystic Krewe of Scissors & Glue, residents will collaborate on a collage-themed, informal-walking parade that will take place on ‘tit Rex Sunday (January 28th).

Through presentations, guest speakers, and museum visits, artists will explore joy as subject, the history of Carnival, and other artists whose work is designed to bring joy to its viewers. Topics will explore the intersection of craft, contemporary art, social practice, and culture work; collaboration and community building; how to start and maintain a collage community; sharing joy and art with others; and the technology of Art as experience. During the residency, Madera E. Rogers-Henry, founder of The Recycle Challenge, will lead artists in a three-hour collage costume workshop and speak about Mardi Gras, walking parades, and the philosophies of her organization: sustainability, cultural preservation, and diversity.

Artists will leave the residency with a sense of how to incorporate joy into their artist practice. Kolaj Institute will make a short film and zine about the project that will be shown at Kolaj Fest New Orleans on a panel about Joy as Subject, on which the artists will be invited to take part. Read the full Call to Artists for details and how to apply.