Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival & symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, 23-27 June 2027.
About the Event
Kolaj Fest New Orleans is 23-27 June 2027
Kolaj Fest returns to New Orleans on 23-27 June 2027 for a gathering of collage artists and art professionals; a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society; where the focus is how we celebrate and elevate the status of collage.
Presenters will lead panel discussions and explore key curatorial issues. Artists will exhibit artwork, and create special activities and demonstrations. We will meet, network, share community, camaraderie, and fellowship. We will leave armed with new ideas for our artmaking, writing, and curatorial projects, but more importantly, we will leave Kolaj Fest New Orleans prepared to champion this artform in the year to come.
Since 2018, Kolaj Fest New Orleans has been the oldest and largest gathering of the International Collage Community.
Registration
With your registration for Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027, you have access to all sessions, workshops, and activities, as well as the printed program guide for the event. Registration is your ticket to collage making, workshop spaces, and special events and you will receive special notice of calls to artists specifically for attendees.
Registration is $175.
Super Early Bird Registration is $100 before 31 January 2027.
Where to Stay
Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a decentralized event that extends across New Orleans. There is no official host hotel. New Orleans is rich with housing options, from traditional hotels to B&Bs at a range of price points. We recommend booking in the Central Business District/Warehouse District, French Quarter, or in the Marigny/Bywater, all places well served by public transportation and ride share services. New Orleans & Co., the city’s visitor and convention bureau, offers a free hotel and B&B booking service.
Call for Artists, Papers, & Projects
CALL TO ARTISTS
Call for Artists, Papers, & Projects
Early Deadline: 31 December 2026
Final Deadline: 31 January 2027
How do you want to manifest at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027?
Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium, 23-27 June 2027. Our mission is to create a platform that allows us to explore critical issues around collage including how it is curated and presented, its role in contemporary art, and the tensions between collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a movement.
Our goal is to create an event that attracts a variety of people working in various capacities, such as art professionals at museums, galleries, and centers as well as academics, writers, and artists. The general public is invited to join us for gallery visits, evening presentations, and collage making.
Kolaj Fest New Orleans plays a key role in the work of Kolaj Magazine and Kolaj Institute, as it is a way for us to become familiar with a professional’s work and presenters may be invited to participate in future projects.
In building a program, our aim is to break down hierarchy and foster dialogue among art professionals working in a variety of capacities. To that end, Kolaj Institute works with presenters to craft a program, often by inviting multiple presenters to work together. Responding to the Call lets us know that you would like to be a presenter at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027 by presenting at the symposium, hosting a workshop, or leading a project. (Organizers will issue separate calls for those interested in the Collage Art & Book Market, the Collage in Motion screening, exhibitions, or other projects.)
CALL FOR PAPERS & ARTISTS
Symposium
Symposium sessions at Kolaj Fest New Orleans bring together groups of art professionals and artists who speak about a central theme. Artists, writers, academics, and curators present slideshows which are followed by a Question & Answer period. Symposium panels are typically crafted by the organizers who bring together artists with shared interests or common practices. On the submission form, Presenters are asked to provide statements about the research or ideas they want to present and/or information about their artist practice and sample images of the artwork they would like to present. Curators are invited to present past, present, or future exhibitions. We encourage those in academia to share their research.
CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
Workshops
Workshops at Kolaj Fest New Orleans offer participants the opportunity to engage with their process or materials in a new way; explore subjects or themes; or practice a new collage technique to make. Over a dozen workshops take place during the festival. Roundtable Discussions are facilitated conversations for attendees to come together to discuss subjects, artist practices, projects, or other topics that warrant deeper dialogue. On the submission form, Workshop presenters will be asked to provide 3-5 sentences about the idea behind the workshop; 2-3 things that people will do or experience during the workshop; and 2-3 things people will learn during the workshop. We also ask you to let us know what special materials or equipment you may need.
Projects
Projects at Kolaj Fest New Orleans are activities that unfold before and during the festival, and may lead to exhibitions or publications that take place after the event. While led by an artist or group of artists, projects are often open to collaboration or input from Kolaj Fest Participants. Past projects have included things like inviting Kolaj Fest Participants to make a collage that was later published as a zine; to collaborate on an artwork that was exhibited outside the festival; or contribute stop-motion animation that became a larger film that was screened at future editions of the festival. Exhibitions of artwork during the festival are not projects. Projects may become part of the symposium or a workshop. On the submission form, Project organizers will be asked to provide a statement of their project idea and to list what support they would need from the organizers.
What Happens at Kolaj Fest New Orleans
AT KOLAJ FEST
Symposium
The program at Kolaj Fest is a unique experience. We have multiple goals and are serving multiple audiences: We aim to breakdown hierarchy and foster dialogue among art professionals working in a variety of capacities. We aim to build bridges between the collage community and the larger art world; between the art world and the general public. SEE LAST YEAR’S PROGRAMS
AT KOLAJ FEST
Workshops
Workshops at Kolaj Fest New Orleans offer participants the opportunity to engage with their process or materials in a new way; explore subjects or themes; or practice a new collage technique to make. Over a dozen workshops take place during the festival. SEE LAST YEAR’S WORKSHOPS
AT KOLAJ FEST
Daily Collage Congress
At each Daily Collage Congress, we will review the day’s agenda. Speakers will share ideas about the state of collage. We will also hear updates about special projects taking place during the festival. SEE LAST YEAR’S PROGRAMS
AT KOLAJ FEST
Special Projects
Projects at Kolaj Fest New Orleans are activities that unfold over the course of the festival and often lead to exhibitions or publications that take place after the event. While led by an artist or group of artists, projects are often open to collaboration from Kolaj Fest Participants.
AT KOLAJ FEST
Collage Making
Collage making takes place each day of Kolaj Fest New Orleans. In addition to free time to make collage, the space will host artists leading demonstrations and workshops. The space has scissors, X-acto knives, glue, and a collection of papers and materials. Collage making also takes place during Workshops .
AT KOLAJ FEST
Exhibitions
Several exhibitions of collage take place during Kolaj Fest New Orleans, including shows at LeMieux Galleries, Kolaj Institute Gallery and the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery. Collage in the Crescent City is your guide to finding college at galleries throughout New Orleans. SEE THE EXHIBITIONS
PUBLICATION
Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027 Program
Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027 Program Book is a document of all things related to Kolaj Fest. In its pages, you will find a schedule and descriptions of sessions, bios and website information for artists and presenters, descriptions of evening events and special workshops. A full-colour, printed book is included with your registration. Email your name and mailing address to request a previous year’s program book
Special Events at Kolaj Fest New Orleans
Note: Program dates, times, & locations are subject to change. The final, official schedule program schedule appears in the printed program that is included in the Registration Packet. Sign-up to receive updates.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
Welcome Reception
Wednesday, 23 June 2027, 3-5PM
*St. Noir Cafe, 1128 St. Roch Avenue
St. Roch Tavern, 1200 St. Roch Avenue
St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Avenue
Join us for a peripatetic Welcome Reception in the heart of the St. Roch neighborhood, just across St. Claude Avenue from Kolaj Institute Gallery. Your first stop should be St. Noir Cafe to check into Kolaj Fest, pick up your registration packet, and meet the organizers and other folks attending Kolaj Fest. The venue writes, “Our cozy café is more than just a place to grab your favorite beverages; it’s a sanctuary designed for relaxation, connection, and good vibes. At St. Noir, we believe life is best enjoyed slowly, accompanied by a warm beverage and a mellow atmosphere.” Next door to the cafe, St. Roch Tavern will be hosting collage making. This lively, neighborhood corner dive bar has existed, albeit under different names, since the 1890s. It is also the home of El Caimán Gordo which serves up traditional Colombian cuisine. Across the small street in St. Roch Market you will find more collage making in this vibrant community hub and modern food hall.
THURSDAY EVENING
Collage on Screen
Thursday, 24 June 2027, 7-9PM
Cafe Istanbul
Collage on Screen, an eclectic evening of moving images, is part of Kolaj Institute’s Collage in Motion project, which explores collage and the moving image, a broad, loosely defined category that includes animations, film cut-ups, collage film, stop-motion, documentaries about collage artists, and other forms of media in which collage—as medium or genre—is present. The program includes a series of short films made by participants in Kolaj Institute’s 2026 Collage on Screen Artist Residency. This event is open to the public. Admission is $10. (For Kolaj Fest New Orleans Registrants, your badge is your ticket.) LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLAGE IN MOTION
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Collage Art & Book Market
Saturday, 26 June 2027, Noon-5PM
The Great Hall of the New Orleans Healing Center
2372 St. Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117
Part of Kolaj Fest New Orleans, the Collage Art & Book Market is an opportunity for the general public to meet artists and publishers and to take in the rich and diverse cultural production of the international collage community. The public will be invited to peruse vendor displays or attend a talk or demonstration.
Kolaj Institute is selling current and back issues of Kolaj Magazine, PoetryXCollage, World Collage Day Special Editions, and books including the recently published Folklore Collage Society Volume 1, Frankenstein, Magic in the Modern World, and Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide.
Want to be Vendor?
Early Deadline: 15 May 2027
Final Deadline: 16 June2027
SUNDAY MORNING
Great Collage Swap
Sunday, 27 June 2027, 10:30AM
LeMieux Galleries
On Sunday, we will gather one final time to say our goodbyes and to conduct The Great Collage Swap. To participate, bring a collage to exchange to the Info Table before 10AM Sunday. In return, you will be given a number. All of the collages will be displayed. During the program, a collage will be selected and matched with a number and the holder of that number will receive the collage. As the collages are matched, each artist has a chance to share their story. The Great Collage Swap takes place at LeMieux Galleries on Julia Street.
SPECIAL EVENT
Sonic Divination: Sound Collage
Wednesday, 23 June 2027, 7-10PM
Kolaj Institute Gallery
Sound collage regularly pops up in every genre of contemporary music and musicians are routinely bringing recorded sounds into their compositions. At Seance, New Orleans, Louisiana artist, musician, and filmmaker Robbie Morgan (who performs under the moniker Robah) will present an interactive evening of sound collage. Working from an altar of objects, the audience will be invited to make sounds which Morgan will record, distort, and compose into a piece of sound collage. Audience members are invited to bring their own objects that they can use to make sound. During the event, audience members will also be invited to make analog collage on 4″x4″ cards. Seance is part of a series of activities in which Kolaj Institute will explore sound collage; its history and role in contemporary art. Those with a sound collage practice or those interested in developing one are invited to send an EMAIL.
SPECIAL EVENT
Big Ass Collage: The Movie
At Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2026, we came together as a community and collaborate on a Big Ass Collage. At ten feet tall and fourteen feet wide, this 140 square foot collage is a demonstration of communal, collective authorship at the heart of the International Collage Community.
The evening unfolded as part Amish barn raising and part sewing bee, with a roving film crew documenting the event for a mockumentary about the event. At Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2027, the Big Ass Collage will be installed in the Great Hall of the New Orleans Healing Center. A screening of the mockumentary film will take place during the festival.
Exhibitions at Kolaj Fest New Orleans
Several exhibitions of collage take place during Kolaj Fest New Orleans, including shows at LeMieux Galleries, Kolaj Institute Gallery and the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery. Collage in the Crescent City is your guide to finding college at galleries throughout New Orleans.
EXHIBITION
LeMieux Galleries
June 2027
332 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Each year, LeMieux Galleries hosts an exhibition of artwork by people attending Kolaj Fest New Orleans. Stay tuned for the Call to Artists which will be sent to those registered to the event.
EXHIBITION
Photography & Collage at the New Orleans Photo Alliance
June-July 2027
The Art Spot
2011 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Photography and collage have a long history of being in dialogue with one another; however, the intersection of these two mediums is poorly explored. For the past three years, New Orleans Photo Alliance and Kolaj Institute have worked together to investigate the intersection of this medium. This exhibition presents work by artists who collage their own photographs, make photomontage, use a collage-like process in either the composition of photographs or in the dark room. This is artwork where the artist feels the image speaks to this intersection. An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, 23 June 2026, 5-8PM during Kolaj Fest New Orleans. Stay tuned for the Call to Artists and for the announcement of Virtual and In-Person Artist Residencies for those who want to work together in community to explore this intersection. LEARN MORE ABOUT KOLAJ INSTITUTE’S PHOTOGRAPHY & COLLAGE PROJECT.
COLLAGE ON VIEW
Collage in the Crescent City
Each year we publish a round up of places to see Collage in the Crescent City.
Symposium at Kolaj Fest New Orleans
Symposium sessions at Kolaj Fest New Orleans bring together a group of artists who speak about a central theme. Artists, writers, academics, and curators present slideshows which are followed by a Question & Answer period. More Symposium sessions will be announced soon.
DAILY CONGRESS THURSDAY
Welcome to Kolaj Fest
Each day we gather at 10AM for a Daily Collage Congress. Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour will officially open Kolaj Fest New Orleans at Thursday’s Daily Collage Congress and hear from a number of artists about projects, activities, and exhibitions taking place during the festival. Artists will be invited to contribute to the Great Collage Swap taking place on Sunday. Thursday’s Congress is the primary orientation to Kolaj Fest New Orleans.
Workshops at Kolaj Fest New Orleans
Workshops at Kolaj Fest New Orleans offer participants the opportunity to engage with their process or materials in a new way; explore subjects or themes; or practice a new collage technique to make. Over a dozen workshops take place during the festival. More workshops will be announced soon.
Past Events
